Seriously? Why me?
by Xaja Silversheen
Summary: AJ hates LOTR. There is something wrong with a story that centers around shoeless midgets and tacky jewellery... So what happens when she gets thrown into the story, against her will? Besides pure pandemonium, of course. DISCONTINUED.
1. The Intro

**SUMMARY: Aerin, or AJ to those who like having their faces intact, **_**hates**_** LOTR. With a passion. Midgets are not normal, black robed zombies are only slightly odd, and what is with guys who willingly look like women? Especially that mediocre one played by O. Bloom… So what happens when she becomes part of the story?**

**DISCLAIMER: *furtive glance* I would LOVE to say that I am the genius who dreamt up Lord of the Rings… buuuuut…. I'm not. If I was, Boromir would have lived and I would be an Elf. *sigh* AJ and Mari are mine, as are the Bloodcurdling Scream Of Death. I might make up some more characters as we go, but everyone else belongs to Tolkien… (for now! Mwahahaha!!!!) except Orlando Bloom. I don't know who he belongs to. ******

**Enjoy! Flames get the BSOD. (Bloodcurdling Scream Of Death) I have been known to burst eardrums… heck, I trained the Nazgul! You have been warned!**

Mari was virtually bouncing as she slid the DVD into the player. "AJ, hurry up!" She waited for a moment as the menu screen came up. "AJ! It's starting!" Another minute later… "Aerin Jacqueline! Get your butt out here now!"

An irritated "All right! I'm coming!" sounded from the living room door, followed closely by its source. Aerin Jacqueline, or AJ as those who did not wish to beat up called her, sauntered into the living room and collapsed into one of the bean bags that Mari-Anne, or Mari, had dragged from her room for the movie-watching.

The older girl pulled a soft fleece blanket over her slim, black-clad frame. "So, what movie are we watching?"

Mari grinned as soft music came through on the surround sound speakers. "Guess!"

AJ's black-lined green eyes turned upwards to inspect the ceiling. "Let me see… not something to do with a certain actor named… oh, let me see… Orlando Bloom?"

Mari went pink to match her sweater. "Hey, it's not MY fault he is the most _gorgeous_ man EVER!"

"Aye", agreed AJ, "but the celebrity obsession? Honestly, one day you are gonna have to gain control of yourself! I mean, what would you do if you saw him in person?"

Her younger sister thought for a moment as a woman's voice sounded through the speakers. '_The world is changed'._ "Scream? Faint? Ask him to marry me?"

There was a moan as AJ dropped her face into her black-nailed hands. "You are absolutely hopeless!" She then recognized the voice from the DVD. '_I feel it in the water'._ "Oh no, not _the Lord of the Rings,_ again?!"

Mari grinned evilly as she turned up the volume to maximize the sound of- _what was her name? Galadriel or something?_- the Voice speaking. AJ sighed. There was no way she was going to win this battle. Oh well, she hadn't seen the movies for years and had completely forgotten the plot line. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad… In any case, it would take her mind off of certain issues surrounding her life…

_~Fast forward to Rivendell~_

AJ was going to kill her sister for making her sit through this dumb movie!

Of course, it hadn't been all bad so far. The huge black things on the horses were fairly cool, as was the flood that the Elf-chick had created in the river, but what was with the midget going all green? The way his eyes glazed over was okay, but AJ could do that easily. On an impulse, she turned to her sister, letting her eyes slide out of focus and allowing her mouth to fall slightly open.

The ensuing scream did not disappoint AJ. She smirked as Mari backed away. "That was nothing! I can out-scream any of those black things! Shall I prove it?" She drew in a deep breath, preparing to use the Bloodcurdling Scream Of Death that was her trademark.

Mari yelped and covered her ears. "No! Once was enough! My ears are still recovering!" She glanced up cautiously as AJ released the pent up air in her lungs with a sigh, then stretched. "I'm getting another soda. Want anything?"

AJ briefly considered escape, before saying, "Nah." The only place she could run to was out to a friend's, and after what had happened last week… AJ didn't want to face anyone. At least she was safe with her sister, even if she was a teenaged boy-crazed twit.

Mari walked to the stairs leading up to the kitchen. "Back in a sec!"

AJ snuggled into her beanbag chair and pulled the blanket closer to her to ward off the chills from the drafty basement. Shaking her head slightly allowed a curtain of jet-black hair to fall around her face, as if she were hiding from the world. In a way, she was. The basement was a refuge that none of her enemies could get to and hurt her. None of her friends knew where she lived, and she was counting on that. She did not want to re-experience the hell she had gone through…

The draft turned into a full-out breeze. With a scowl etched into her narrow face, AJ stood up to close the window. If Mari or Jeff had left it open again… her siblings were so irresponsible!

A tightly sealed window met the teen's eyes. With a soft curse, she felt along the glass, trying to identify the source of the wind, which by now had increased to a full-out gale. It seemed to be coming… from inside the window?

AJ turned around, alarm bells ringing in her mind. The wind pulled her hair into her face, making it hard for her to open her eyes. What she could see, however, was a blue-ish vortex appearing on the TV screen. It seemed to be the source of the small hurricane, which was now pulling her into the screen.

_No. This has to be a nightmare. I feel asleep in the movie! If I pinch myself, I will wake up to Mari glaring at me for dozing!_ The teen acted on her thought, pinching her arm hard enough to bleed. The wind, however, seemed to become even more violent, now actively conspiring to drag her into the TV.

AJ screamed. _Where the hell is Mari?_ Why hadn't she come down to see what was the matter? Not even Jeff's stereo could drown this out! Her siblings should be down here helping her!

In desperation, she grabbed a coffee table and held on for dear life. She could feel her body being pulled into the screen, her fingernails leaving gashes in the varnish of the old wooden table. Her shoes, tightly laced, didn't come off –_thank God_– but her feet were now entering the screen. There was a strange sucking sensation as first her toes, then her ankles were pulled into the TV, almost like she was being pulled into cool water. It almost felt like someone had grabbed her feet and was pulling her into the TV.

With one final effort, AJ clutched the leg of the table. It was to no avail, as her clammy hands had no grip on the slick wood. A last scream followed the teen into the vortex of the screen…

**TBC**


	2. Arrival

**DISCLAIMER: *furtive glance* I would LOVE to say that I am the genius who dreamt up Lord of the Rings… buuuuut…. I'm not. If I was, Boromir would have lived and I would be an Elf. *sigh* AJ and Mari are mine, as are the Bloodcurdling Scream Of Death. I might make up some more characters as we go, but everyone else belongs to Tolkien… (for now! Mwahahaha!!!!) except Orlando Bloom. I don't know who he belongs to. ******

There was a hard impact as her body slammed into a surface not unlike concrete or stone. It had to be nighttime, as everything was cast in a dark blue glow. _Much like I am going to be tomorrow!_

AJ hissed in pain as she shakily stood up. Aside from some bruises when she landed and scratches from the table when she was trying to stop herself from falling, she seemed to be all right, simply dazed from her fall into… what?

Instinct made AJ check herself for the small daggers she kept there. One on her left arm, two on her legs, one behind her shoulder blades, one in each shoe… all present and accounted for. She hadn't left her bedroom without the knives for months… and they still hadn't helped her. Not when she needed them the most…

_No!_ AJ shook her head. She needed to get out of here, and griping about the past wouldn't help her at all! She glanced around, taking in her surroundings in as much detail as she could despite the shadows.

She stood in a wide hallway of sorts, covered with art and decorated with the most beautiful and intricate of designs. There was one door behind her, and a door at either end of the corridor. There didn't seem to be anyone else near her, from what she could tell. She looked behind her… and found a tall statue, holding a tray. Something glittered on it…

AJ gasped softly as she looked at the contents of the tray. A long, magnificent sword lay there, shimmering in the evening light. It was broken into a dozen parts, all arranged to vaguely resemble the original weapon.

Curiosity got the better of AJ, and she reached forward, picking up the hilt reverently. She may have hated _Lord of the Rings_, but she did enjoy her share of fantasy novels and movies. This sword looked like nothing she had ever seen at the specialty knife store at the mall! Despite its broken condition, it was a beautiful weapon. _And sharp_, discovered AJ, when she touched the edge of the blade. She gently placed the sword back, sucking her injured finger to stem the bleeding. It was then that she saw the poem underneath the sword:

_All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost_

_The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not touched by the frost_

_From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring_

_Renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king._

AJ softly whispered the words as she read the poem. If it was a prophecy, she didn't understand it, but the words were beautiful. She sighed, before rising to continue her search for an exit.

Something sharp pressed into her back. Actually, a few sharp somethings. _What the hell…?_ Instinctively, she raised her empty hands, trying not to hyperventilate. _Frick, I hope I don't die here! I want to go home!_ Thoughts immediately rose into her mind unbidden, thoughts of her friends, of _him_… She pushed them back, trying to figure her way out of this immediate danger.

Hands grabbed her wrists, pulling them behind her back. A soft rope was wound around her wrists, then she was pulled backwards, to face a group of… men? Their faces were too masculine to be female –_Unless, of course, I just walked into a home for sex-change people-_ but their hair was longer then her female friends grew it! What the he-

One of them, the evident leader, came forward, a scowl on his face. He stared at AJ's face for a moment, before demanding, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

AJ stared back. She never lost staring matches. "I am Aerin Lempira, or AJ for short. And as for the second question… I have exactly no clue. Honest."

The man looked at her carefully, then glanced up as AJ's captor whispered something too faint for her ears to catch. With a flourish he pulled out the dagger that had hidden up her left sleeve, then started checking over the rest of her small frame. AJ scowled as his fingers trailed up her back, alerting when they found the knife hidden down her shirt, then down her legs to the blades above her shoes. A second thug pulled her shoes off and retrieved the remaining daggers, then replaced the shoes. The chief thug studied the knives for but a moment, then turned to AJ with a very unimpressed glare. He hissed something to his fellow cohorts, then started walking down the corridor. The other captors followed, pulling AJ along despite her weak struggles.

Panic had started to build in the pit of her stomach when the door at the end of the hallway opened, seemingly of its own accord, and the boss walked through without hesitation. The room they were entering was darker then the hallway, and AJ couldn't see more then a vague shadow where the chief stood. She vowed to be brave, to not be weak before these thugs…

Her long-term phobia of the darkness quickly overtook her mind and body. Her lungs constricted, forcing her to hyperventilate. She tried to stop her abductors from dragging her _in there_, but they were hearing none of it. One grabbed her arm tighter, snapping at her in an irritated fashion. AJ could see his lips moving, but couldn't hear anything. Everything was growing so dark… She was passing out. She was sure of it.

The chief thug turned around and hurried back, evidently alarmed that his prisoner was acting strangely. AJ was vaguely aware of this, but the only thought running through her mind was _RUN!!!_

In a last ditch effort, she threw herself to the side, giving herself some new bruises. She heard a cry of dismay from a captor as she tried one last time to escape before something hard cracked down on her head. The blackness became complete as her consciousness fled.

TBC…


	3. An Introduction

**Disclaimer: My evil plan to take over Lord of the Rings still hasn't worked... hence, they are STILL Tolkien's… AJ is mine, not sure if I'm going to create anyone else…**

The first thing she was aware of was a throbbing sensation that seemed to be trying to destroy her brain, one cell at a time. "Ugh…" What had happened? The last thing she remembered was the suffocating blackness, trying to escape, stars exploding in front of her vision…

AJ's eyes flew open as she recalled the circumstances of her imprisonment. What the heck had those… those… thugs done to her? Where was she?

She appeared to be in a fairly small room. A window, shuttered and locked, permitted a few small shafts of light to stream into the room. A small fire danced in the fireplace, casting shadows over the room. The door to the right of the bed AJ lay in provided the only means of escape. Aside from another smaller door near to the window and a wardrobe and table, there was very little else in the room.

AJ slowly let herself out of the soft bed. Her wrists had been untied, but her knives were conspicuously absent. She paused for a moment, willing the room to quit spinning, before carefully standing up to explore. A quick test at the near door confirmed her suspicions that it was locked, thereby deeming her a prisoner. _A prisoner of what, I wonder._

The far door led into a small washroom. There were no windows in here to escape from. AJ cursed softly as she exited the washroom and tested the main window. There was no glass, but the shutters were locked tight, despite her attempts to open them. After a moment of brief, near silent struggle, she gave up and turned around to survey the room again, looking for one final chance of escape she might have missed.

She barely managed to stifle the shriek rising in her throat when she saw the chief thug leaning against the door, watching her with a raised eyebrow. Judging from the way his body leant against the wooden doorframe, he had been watching her for a while. He must have snuck into the room while AJ was exploring the washroom. Now, he kept his arms casually folded across his chest as he spoke. "Glad to see that you have awoken. How are you feeling?"

AJ was startled by the non-threatening question, but refused to let herself succumb to whatever plan he was pulling on her. "Fine enough." She glanced to the window. "Is it morning?"

"No", said the Thug, "but it will be dawn soon." He straightened up. "Forgive me for not introducing myself to a guest earlier. I am Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. And you would be Lady…" He bowed to a startled AJ, who leaned against the wardrobe, suddenly weak in the knees. A Lord? Who doubled as a hit man? And where the hell was Rivendell?

Elrond stood up and frowned when he saw AJ go even paler then usual. "What is wrong?"

Somehow, the teen managed to stammer out "B-but… Where is Rivendell? Why did you attack me?"

The man looked puzzled. "Rivendell is just to the East of the Misty Mountains, in the Northern regions of Middle Earth. And as to your second question… Maybe you should tell me why you were prowling around _my_ halls, at night, without permission! And I still haven't heard your name."

AJ thought she was about to pass out. She pinched herself, to be sure she wasn't dreaming. The first scab opened from where she had drawn blood in the living room. _Whoever was the idiot who thought of pinching oneself…_ _Middle Earth? Isn't that somewhere in the Lord of the Rings? And isn't that fiction? Then why am I here?_ She managed to face Elrond. "You must be mistaken. I'm sure Middle Earth doesn't exist! That was a work of fantasy by some professor!"

Elrond stepped forward and gazed into AJ's green eyes. "Are you sure you're quite alright? I don't think Elrohir hit you that hard…" He frowned again. "I noticed you still haven't answered my questions." It was a statement, but was not lacking in the implied order.

She decided it wouldn't kill her to be honest. "OK, first off, my name is Aerin, or more commonly AJ. I was watching a movie with my sister in my basement, and got dragged into the movie by this huge wind coming from this strange vortex. When I finally got dropped by the wind I was pretty much exactly where you found me." She forced herself to smile weakly at Elrond's disbelieving look. "Crazy, I know, but I'm –"

Elrond gripped her shoulder. "A strange vortex, you say? Coupled by a wind? Could you please describe them in detail?"

"Wha? Oh… The vortex was a blue-ish color and spinning clockwise. The wind started out feeling like a small draft but quickly turned into this hurricane and pushed or dragged me into the vortex. Why?"

Elrond stared at AJ for a moment longer before he turned around and started towards the door. "I am going to inquire of the wisest in Rivendell as to what you have told me. Stay here until I return." With that, he slipped through the door, closing it as he left.

AJ immediately went to the door, in the vain hope that he had forgotten to lock it. Her hopes, however, proved futile. In shock and desperation, she dropped onto the bed, holding her face in her hands.

_What the hell have I just gotten myself into?_

**TBC**


	4. Questions Answered

**Disclaimer: My evil plan to take over Lord of the Rings still hasn't worked... hence, they are STILL Tolkien's… AJ is mine, not sure if I'm going to create anyone else…**

**P.S. I don't own Narnia either. I'm not stealing it either. I am borrowing it without permission. ;)**

Elrond was not gone for more than 10 minutes before he returned, an old man in tow. AJ glanced up from her position on the bed, knees tucked against her chest. She had been contemplating her predicament for the time she had alone, and was becoming more scared as she went along. If her captor's reaction was anything to go by, she was pretty much screwed. _Seriously, why me? _Why was she the one who got dragged into Middle Earth, if indeed that was where she was trapped? Why not Mari, the resident Tolkien nut? Why was AJ the one that had everything bad happen to her?

Elrond bent forward slightly, so as to make eye contact with AJ. "Aerin, Gandalf is one of the wisest beings in all of Middle Earth. There is a good chance he will be able to tell you what happened with the wind and the vortex. Could you please describe them again?"

AJ sighed before doing so, studying the old man as she did. Gandalf looked like he had in the movie, with a bushy grey beard and huge eyebrows, currently bent into a scowl. He stood up slightly as AJ finished her tale, before remarking, "This is ill news."

"You're telling me", muttered AJ, hopefully too softly for Elrond and Gandalf to hear. "I want to wake up now and go home! Not be stuck in this-" She quickly stopped as both men turned to her, frowns on their faces. _Aw, bummer._ She hoped they soon forgot her grumble.

Gandalf turned back to Elrond. "I have a suspicion, and being a wizard, my suspicions are usually good. I will need to have Lady Galadriel confirm my hunch, but…" He looked at AJ again. "Would you agree, Master Elrond, that the Passages have been re-awoken?"

_Passages? Re-awoken? Wizard?!_ AJ thought she were about to pass out again.

Elrond slowly nodded. "The vortex described, paired with the wind, can only mean the Passages have been re-opened." He placed a hand on Gandalf's shoulder. "This must be the Prophecy!"

"Umm…" AJ managed to catch the attention of both her captors. "What is going on? Have I missed something?"

Gandalf sighed before sitting on the bed beside AJ. "Have you, in your own world, ever heard of people traveling between worlds that are seemingly fiction? Walking into a cave, or jumping into a river…"

AJ frowned. "There is one children's story about a set of brothers and sisters who walked through a wardrobe and went to a land of ice and snow called Narnia… But that only occurs in fairy tales!"

Gandalf looked at AJ sharply, eyes shooting daggers out from underneath those bushy eyebrows. "Fairy tales, yes, but every story has an element of truth to it. In ages past, certain Passages would be opened to allow people from different worlds to travel amongst the worlds. These would only be opened in times of greatest danger, when all the worlds were at risk." He looked off into the distance, as if reliving a memory. "In all the greatest wars of Middle Earth, someone from another world with extraordinary talent was brought here to aid us. Indeed, in the last battle against Morgoth, Lord Michael of… Ireland, I believe it was… was influential in bringing about the downfall of the first Dark Lord."

Elrond added, "And in the Battle of the Last Alliance, Lord Phillip of Spain led a battalion of Elves to distract Sauron until Isildur managed to cut the One Ring off of the Deceiver's hand…" He glanced down at AJ. "If indeed you were called to Middle Earth by a Passage, your world is indeed at risk."

AJ looked from one to the other, fear rising in her chest. "What? I'm not a warrior! I don't even want to be here! Why would I be the one chosen to save another world that I don't even believe exists?"

Elrond smiled, a sad yet gentle smile. "Lord Phillip was much like you. It took me and Gil-galad the Elven king many days to convince him he was prophesied to save the all worlds… And even then, he was certain that he had very little to do with the salvation of Middle Earth. Truth be told, Isildur would have been killed instantly if Phillip had not risked his own life to draw Sauron's attention away from him, and he would not have been defeated."

"Wait", AJ quickly said, "but… I'm supposed to save _all_ the worlds? How many are there? And how I am supposed to get home?"

"Child", said Gandalf gently (and at this AJ bristled, for _no-one_ called her 'child'!) "The events in one world can have a great effect on what happens in the other worlds. No one knows for certain how many worlds there are, for one is created every time someone takes the time to write the tales. If you come from the Planet Earth"- he paused for AJ to nod- "then your world is the only one that was truly created from something other than a story. And as to your return to your world…" He sighed. "We do not know."

AJ could feel what little blood was left in her face drain away. "But if you know how Michael and Phillip got here, you should know how they got home!" She glanced at Elrond. "Shouldn't you?"

Elrond looked at her steadily. "Lord Michael was killed in combat against Morgoth, and Lord Phillip, when offered the chance to return to his world by the Valar, chose to stay with the Numenorians. We do not know if you would be granted the same chance to return home. For Lord Phillip risked everything he had to save Isildur, and he was not offered a safe return until after he had done everything in his power to aid Middle Earth."

AJ looked at the stone floor. Tears in her eyes threatened to spill over. _How can I not go home? What will Mari and Jeff and Dad say about this?_ Poor Mari. She was probably freaking out right now. Jeff would be beating up half the kids on their block and Dad… AJ didn't know what her father would be doing. _He'd probably freak out as well…_

What if helping her captors was the only way she could go home? Could she ask for help from her world? She voiced her question to Elrond and Gandalf.

Gandalf shook his head. "No. Once the Passages pull someone into another world, they are closed off."

AJ lowered her head again, dismay creeping over her, threatening to choke her. If no one from her world could get here… and no one knew what had happened…

The thought occurred to her that if no help could find her, it meant no enemies from her home could either. _He_ would never be able to find her, neither could _they._ Middle Earth might be safe in comparison to her own neighborhood.

Her mind was set. She looked up at Elrond and Gandalf, schooling her face to be expressionless. "What must I do?"

Elrond smiled, seemingly relieved. "Wait here and rest for a while. I will send my daughter Arwen to help you." He started walking to the door.

Gandalf stood up and laid a hand on AJ's slender shoulder. _"Hannon le._" AJ couldn't translate the words themselves but got their general meaning. She nodded, watching the two men exit her room.

Something caught her eye as Elrond started to leave. She gasped. "Your ears… they're pointed…"

Elrond smiled. "Who else but an Elf could live for several thousand years?" He walked out of the room, leaving a stunned AJ in his wake.

_Elves? Wizards? Dark Lords? Rings? Worlds?_ The teen was in too much shock to even check the door, even though Elrond had neglected to lock it. She leaned forwards and rested her elbows on her knees, allowing the tears to fall into her hands.

_What is happening to me?_

**TBC**

**-Yes, I know, Tolkien didn't mention Lord Michael or Lord Phillip in any of his books. Wonder how he managed to forget about these heroes… ;) Hmm. He's jealous 'cause I created them!! Ha ha!**


	5. A New Friend

**Disclaimer: My evil plan to take over Lord of the Rings still hasn't worked... hence, they are STILL Tolkien's… AJ is mine, not sure if I'm going to create anyone else…**

Arwen rolled over in bed irritably as someone started knocking on her door. "G'way!" she groaned, not caring that her vocabulary did not benefit a Lady. Who would be daring to knock on her door, before dawn?

Although, when she forced her eyes open a crack, dawn was not far off. Which meant this untimely interruption was fairly justified.

The door creaked open slightly, forcing Arwen to turn over and glare at the intruder. The glare swiftly changed into a look of surprise upon seeing her visitor. "Ada?" _{Father?}_

Elrond sighed. "E' rath ie' sina? Tolo hi!" {_Still in bed at this hour? Get up!}_

Arwen quickly got out of bed, pulling a soft cloak around her shoulders. "What is wrong, Father?"She followed her father out of her room and down the corridor, coming to a flight of stairs. "The Ringbearer…"

"The Ringbearer is fine_"_ answered Elrond. "However, there is another visitor who needs your assistance. Do you remember what I told you and your brothers about the Passages?"

Arwen frowned. "Yes."

She nearly stopped dead in her tracks when Elrond responded "They have opened again. This visitor is a girl, little more then a child. She is still in shock over what Mithrandir and I have told her about the Passages. We still need to confirm our guess with Lady Galadriel, but it is your task to make our guest comfortable and relaxed."

The younger Elf nodded, slowing as her father came to one room, just a moment's walk from Arwen's own quarters. "I understand, _Ada_. What is her name?"

Elrond turned to face Arwen fully. "Her name is Aerin, although I think she is known as AJ in her own world. You may answer what questions she has to the best of your knowledge, although you must not go into extravagant detail over Frodo and his reason for being here." He opened the wooden door and stepped into the room, Arwen following close behind.

Nothing Elrond had said had quite prepared Arwen for the teen girl sitting on the bed, face hidden in her hands. She was very small, even for a mortal, dressed all in black. When she raised her head at Elrond's entrance, Arwen perceived green eyes filled with sorrow, anger and overall confusion, before she forced her emotions to hide, replaced by a faint curiosity. _This is the girl from the Other Realm that will save Middle Earth from Sauron?_

Elrond knelt in front of the girl. "Aerin?" He was rewarded with a vague nod. "Aerin, I have brought my daughter Arwen. She will be able to help you."

***

AJ looked away from Elrond to study the newcomer. Arwen looked like the actress in the movie; tall, with long black hair and bright blue eyes. A friendly, welcoming smile graced her lips as she knelt beside her father. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Aerin."

AJ managed to weakly smile back, so as not to appear rude. "Likewise." She couldn't force out any more, for fear that she would completely break down.

Elrond, with a satisfied nod, turned to Arwen and said something quietly, in a strange language that AJ couldn't translate. Then he looked to AJ and said, "I am holding a council this afternoon with some of our visitors from other parts of Middle Earth, since this crisis affects us all. I will ask you to join us, Lady Aerin, for the fate of this world will directly affect your home." He gracefully rose. "I will leave you two ladies to yourselves." With that, he walked out the door.

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two. Arwen then rose and conversationally said, "The sun will be rising soon, and in Rivendell, they appear almost magical. Would you care to see one?"

AJ nodded and stood up, stepping to the window. She was stopped by Arwen's gentle laugh. "We are on the wrong side of the house to see the sunrise! The best place to see them is outside, near the stables." She opened the wardrobe and after a minute's search, pulled out a soft blue cloak. She held it out to AJ. "Come on!"

The teen hesitated, before taking the proffered cloak and fastening it around her shoulders. She followed Arwen out of the room into a wide hallway, with doors running down both sides as far as AJ could see. As the pair walked through the hallway, AJ could hear sounds behind the closed doors that spoke of the occupants preparing for the day. On occasion, a door would open and an Elf would step out into the hallway. Often, they would bow upon seeing Arwen, who smiled and dipped her head in return. A few Elves cast curious glances at AJ, but the teen averted her eyes and kept walking behind Arwen.

The walked down a flight of stairs and moved towards the large double doors that evidently lead outside. There were more than a few Elves walking around the grand entryway, as well as some people who did not appear to be Elves. A tall man wearing a fur-lined cloak strode across the floor, taking only a moment to look Arwen and AJ over before continuing on his way with a haughty sniff. AJ scowled for a moment at his back before she had to jump backwards to avoid trampling a couple of children… wait a minute… They looked closer to 20 then 10, and looked at AJ with open curiosity before being called by an elderly voice.

AJ looked behind her as the short ones trotted off to meet another, older version of them, with very bushy white hair.

"The Hobbits", said Arwen with a smile, watching AJ's gaze. "Merry and Pippin have but recently arrived here, and they were the younger that you saw. The elderly one, Bilbo, has lived here for years, and is a distant cousin of sorts to them."

"Merry and Pippin…" Now that AJ thought about it, they did look like the imps from the movie she and Mari had been watching. Unfortunately, she was very bad at remembering the names of 'fictional' characters.

Now Arwen opened one of the large doors, brushing aside some dew from a nearby tree. AJ followed, softly shutting the door behind her. The two then walked down a narrow stone pathway, surrounded by bushes and flowers. A small bridge just ahead of them went over a noisy waterfall and continued on up the hill to another building which, evidently, was the stable. The night's chill was still present, and AJ hugged the cloak closer to her, thankful that Arwen had thought to grab it before dragging her outside to see the sunrise.

Arwen led AJ by the stable and up to a small outcropping of rock. There was no railing here, and AJ felt compelled to stay near the middle of the rock, away from the steep drop below. However, Arwen fearlessly stood right next to the edge, looking towards the mountains before calling AJ. "Come, Aerin! I will not let you fall!"

Cautiously, AJ advanced until she stood next to Arwen, who reassuringly gripped her arm. "Look! Is not Rivendell beautiful in the early morning?"

The panoramic sight below the pair took AJ's breath away. Rivendell spread for a fair ways in the valley, ending near a branch of the river they now stood above. It was autumn, coloring the entire valley in rich shades of orange and red. There was the sound of faint laughter and conversation coming from the other houses in the valley, mingled with the cries of birds and the sound of the water falling under their feet. The smells were akin to the gardens that AJ's mother used to tend, when AJ had been a child, bringing back memories of racing amongst the flowers in pursuit of her brother and sister.

"It's beautiful!" AJ's voice was nearly lost in the rushing waterfall, yet Arwen still heard it.

The Elf turned to her new friend. "Rivendell is the most beautiful place in all of Middle Earth, and I am proud to call it home!" With a soft gasp, she suddenly cried, "Look to the east, above the mountains!"

AJ looked in the direction Arwen pointed and gasped in wonderment as the sky, which had been painted pink and orange, now became a brilliant gold as the Sun appeared over the tops of the mountains, bathing the land in its warmth. AJ let the comforting rays fall on her face, bringing new warmth to her body, which she had just noticed was cold from grief and shock.

The teen remained still for a long moment, allowing the beauty of Rivendell to penetrate her heart. Arwen stood by, saying nothing as she herself enjoyed the early morning.

AJ closed her eyes when the brightness of the sun became too much for her eyes to bear. She allowed herself to think over the events of the last few hours, over this amazing change in her life. She had gone from being just a regular kid at school to (theoretically) the savior of Middle Earth, a place that wasn't supposed to exist!

Looking out over Rivendell, AJ felt a stirring in her spirit. A sense of peace filled her heart, as if to reassure her that this new challenge to her life would be survivable. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all…_

**Sorry, I know, that ending **_**sucked.**_** Hey, it's late at night… and I've had no coffee yet today… next chapter will be better! (I hope!)**


	6. Many Meetings

**NOTE: Apologies one and all, I know this one has been a long while in the making… but I've had pneumonia and… other Grade 12 stuff…. I've barely been able to check my email, much less write stories!**

**OK, enough with the excuses…. Although I still am on pneumonia medication so this story might suck a bit…**

**Disclaimer: My evil plan to take over Lord of the Rings still hasn't worked... hence, they are STILL Tolkien's… AJ is mine, not sure if I'm going to create anyone else…**

AJ was inwardly fuming as she and Arwen took their seats for the Council. It wasn't the friendly Elf's fault; indeed, AJ was certain she had a new friend here in this strange, frightening world. After the sunrise, Arwen had taken it upon herself to show the stranger all of Rivendell and introduce her to some of its inhabitants. Most of them had been quite friendly and polite, even though curious.

Some, however, were the reason for AJ's current bad mood.

Arwen had formally introduced AJ to _le supreme snob_ from the front entrance, whose name turned out to be Boromir, a visitor from some country in the south. The man had taken one disdaining look at the short, slender teen girl before giving a stiff, cool greeting and walking away, leaving said teenager infuriated and afore-mentioned Elf slightly irked. AJ was sure she heard Arwen hiss something very bad-sounding at the retreating man's back that bore no repetition.

The Hobbits, at least, were very friendly and courteous. Merry and Pippin, the scamps from the front hall, had immediately plied AJ with questions about who she was, where she had come from, if she was an Elf, did she know any good songs, could she play at riddles? The old Hobbit Bilbo had finally had to rescue AJ from the overwhelming onslaught of inquisitiveness.

Two other Hobbits, Frodo and Sam, also were introduced to AJ. The teen learned that Frodo was recovering from a serious wound to his shoulder in the house of Elrond, who AJ was surprised to learn was a renowned healer. He appeared to still be on the weaker side from the injury but hid it well, politely inquiring as to AJ's health and giving her some much needed advice concerning Merry and Pippin: "Ignore them and they eventually go away. Don't ever let them near fire-makers. And if you give them food they won't go away, but they will stop talking. Briefly." The Hobbit grinned at AJ's bemused expression.

The Dwarves weren't bad, despite Arwen's obvious uneasiness. It appeared that Elves and Dwarves had never really gotten along and while they were now polite and diplomatic, they were never close to each other. The Dwarves now treated Arwen with a cautious disdain but were very friendly and courteous to AJ, constantly bowing and saying "My Lady" until the teen wanted to strangle them. Arwen managed to rescue her before that happened.

The next guest/resident of Rivendell to be introduced to AJ was a middle-aged man, who looked like he was in his 40's. Arwen introduced him as Aragorn, a Ranger from the general area who sometimes lived in Rivendell. The man bowed and warmly greeted her, with a friendly and respectful attitude that made AJ respond in kind. She was still wary of everything in Middle-Earth, of course, but Aragorn seemed trustworthy. Besides, she had already learned to trust Arwen and figured anyone she was friends with would be friendly towards her.

Indeed, as the pair walked away from Aragorn, AJ looked over to see Arwen's face overtaken by a slightly dreamy, love-struck expression. It immediately disappeared once the Elf realized AJ was looking, but that bit of amusement had stayed with her throughout the day.

AJ smiled slightly, remembering Arwen's face. Then another Elf came into the Council area and the teen's good mood instantly vaporized. _Oh jeez, not him!_

While AJ and Arwen had been touring the gardens, a group of Elves had walked by, evidently just arrived from some other Elven city. Unlike the majority of the Rivendell residents, who had dark hair and gray eyes, these Elves for the most part had long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

AJ stood slightly to the side, watching with a cautiously curious eye. The Elves seemed content to gracefully ignore her and continued with their own tour of the gardens until one broke away to admire the fountain AJ was standing in front of. "Make some space, mortal."

AJ turned towards the offending Elf. "Excuse me?!" It was a large fountain and he had to stand _right_ where she was? "There is plenty of space around the fountain!"

The Elf gave AJ a look of practiced arrogant snobbishness. "I wish to stand here for the best view. I don't believe it is within your rights to stand in my way." He stepped closer. "Now, move."

AJ looked the Elf square in the face and firmly said, in a tone that allowed no argument, "Bite me!"

Now they had the attention of all the Elves within the surrounding area. AJ's opponent looked around to see the support from his friends and said, "I will not be talked to in that manner by a small mortal woman! You will obey me!"

AJ rolled her eyes skywards. "Listen, I have better things to do today then sit here being ordered around by delusional hippies! Go and find your own fountain if you can't share this one!"

The Elf was vibrating with fury. "Delusional hippie?!.." He stepped forward, evidently willing to take things to a fist fight.

Things probably would have gone very badly if Arwen, who had been standing to the side, had not quickly intervened. She gripped AJ's shoulders firmly and turned her away from the Elf. "AJ…"

The teen still wanted to put the Elf in his place but was interrupted by Arwen speaking in the strange language, which AJ had figured out was Elvish. _Probably apologizing._ Then the other elf startled her by snapping back a retort, which cued a several minute bicker between the two Elves. It ended with the other Elf stalking away, followed by his group of friends, and Arwen firmly leading AJ in the opposite direction.

AJ still wanted to end that fight with the Elf. "What was his problem?"

Arwen looked at AJ and sighed. "You have no idea who that was, do you?"

"Besides some random stuck-up jerk? Why should I care?"

Arwen moaned. "Because the Elf that you just called a 'random stuck-up jerk' is the Crown Prince of Mirkwood." Seeing AJ's horrified expression, the Elf had made haste in getting as far away from His Royal Snobiness and had avoided him for the remainder of the day… until now. AJ made eye contact with the other Elf long enough to receive a cool glare, which she returned. _I suppose it makes sense for him to be here, so I can't gripe… but why was I the one he decided to pick on?_

Beside her, Arwen tensed and shot the Prince a warning stare. He evidently didn't have enough guts to stand against the daughter of Elrond and had turned his dignified look of disdain to the Dwarves in the Council area. AJ recognized one as being Gimli, a nice Dwarf from earlier in the day, and his father Gloin. Very nice Dwarves, much more so then that… _cretin_… that called himself a Prince!

Aragorn was sitting on the other side of AJ, for which she was thankful. She already trusted the Ranger, even though he had nearly died of laughter when Arwen told him of the adventure in the garden. Evidently he knew the Prince well and told AJ he was quite impressed that she had put him in his place. AJ wasn't altogether sure he wasn't just snickering at her humiliation.

Frodo the Hobbit was there as well, as well as Gandalf, the old wizard. They sat on the opposite side of the semicircle of chairs, looking decidedly uneasy… or at least Frodo did. AJ couldn't tell what Gandalf was thinking.

She suppressed a groan as Boromir came up the steps and sat with some other men, casting a cursory look of disdain towards herself and Arwen, who returned the glare. Aragorn looked at Arwen, as if telling her to remain cool, and lightly gripped AJ's slender shoulder. The Ranger's touch, however, did nothing to appease the anger and mistrust she had towards the Southerner. She wished, not for the first time, that Elrond had seen fit to return her knives! _Speak of the devil…_

Elrond came up to his chair, which had an Elf sitting on either side. Arwen had explained earlier that these were Elladan and Elrohir, her older twin brothers. The Elf-Lord went into a speech when everyone had quieted, "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." He paused to glare at everyone. "Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom!" Then, with an elegant sweeping gesture to the stone podium, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

**I know, it's a long chapter, which is why The Council is going to be the next chapter. I just wanted to give an idea of what AJ's day was like… I'll try to get the new one up quick, but don't expect lightning results since I currently have pneumonia and can't think coherently… **

**Many thanks for encouraging comments, suggestions, whatever… As always, am up to hear more ideas!**

**I know I used Elvish in the last chapter, but I don't think it's very accurate… anyone know of a good Elvish site? Besides the Google search engine??**

**Off to go get more cough meds… Later, peebs!**


	7. The Council

**DISCLAIMER: YA!! It's MINE! All mine, precious!!!... *trails off under the withering glare of Tolkien's ghost, backed up by Gandalf and Elrond* Ahh!! No!! I don't own it! I'm borrowing it without permission, that's all! I promise I'll give it right back!**

**-I do own AJ, Lord Michael and Lord Phillip, but currently no one else -**

AJ couldn't resist shifting slightly in her seat to get a better view of this Ring, the reason for her presence in Middle-Earth. Arwen had given her a brief history of the Ring, and as AJ remembered some from the movie (which, as it occurred to her, she was now in) she had a fairly good idea of just how evil this Ring was. That didn't deter her curiosity.

It looked like nothing significant, a small golden ring sitting on the stone platform where Frodo had placed it. She almost brushed it off as a forgery, or maybe just a false alarm, when the wave of evil washed over her. She shuddered, remembering the sensation from that night, radiating from _him_. This wickedness was much larger, even then that, and seemed to permeate every corner of the Council area. She could hear its whisperings in her head. _Why believe everything these Elves tell you? You just met them after they had abducted you! Me, on the other hand… I can make it all better for you. I can take you home and make that a better place then you could imagine. I could take away the pain he caused you. Just ignore the Elves and take Me…_

A cool touch on her wrist jolted AJ back to herself. Arwen looked at her, worry in her bright eyes. AJ nodded, to show she was all right. She was shaking, she realized, and afraid to even look at the Ring directly, for fear of allowing that…. that… essence of purest evil back into her head.

Boromir, the Southerner, didn't seem to be affected as badly as AJ. He rose, saying something about a dream and _Isildur's Bane_, all the while reaching out for the Ring. AJ couldn't hear his words clearly, still recovering from the shock of the wicked Ring affecting her brain. She was fully aware, however, of Elrond jumping up and shouting, "Boromir!" at the same moment that Gandalf began to chant in a weird language. She cringed as the sky grew dark, and a deep echo followed the words that Gandalf said. Looking at Arwen, she could tell the Elf was in pain of some description, judging by the way she gripped her forehead. Most of the other Elves in the area seemed to be suffering in the same way as Arwen, including, AJ noticed, the spoiled Elf-Prince.

She was relieved when Gandalf stopped talking, for the sun came back out and life seemed to return vaguely to normal. Elrond looked up and gasped out, "Never before has anyone uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

_Imladris? I thought this was Rivendell! Maybe it's two names for the same place._

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," said Gandalf, with a hint of weariness in his voice, "for one day the language of Mordor may be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil!" He said that last part with a directed glare at Boromir, who had sat down, overwhelmed by the shock of hearing the language of… _Mordor? Is that what that was?_

Boromir, however, seemed unconvinced. "It is a gift!" Ignoring Gandalf's glare, he stood up. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay! By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Why not use the weapon of the enemy? Let us use it against him!"

Aragorn spoke up, startling AJ. "You cannot wield it! None of us can!" When Boromir turned to him, looking fairly irritated, the Ranger continued. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other Master!"

"And what," demanded Boromir, "would a Ranger know of this matter?"

Spoiled Elf-Prince chose that moment to step in. "This is no mere Ranger! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn?" repeated Boromir, not quite believing the Elf's words. "This… is Isildur's heir?"

AJ was surprised when Aragorn nodded. Her shock skyrocketed when the Elf added, "And heir to the throne of Gondor!" Aragorn, a King?? Would surprises never cease?

Aragorn didn't seem to want that piece of information to be public knowledge and gestured at the Elf to sit down. "_Habu dai_, Legolas."*

The Prince, whose name evidently was Legolas, reluctantly sat back down as Boromir turned around. "Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King." He then hesitated, before staring directly at AJ. "And what is a strange woman such as this doing here?"

Arwen gripped AJ's arm again, not allowing her to stand and give Boromir a piece of her mind. Elrond took over that task for her. "Boromir, what legends in Gondor are maintained of Lord Philip and Lord Michael?"

Boromir thought for a moment. "Only stories that I have not heeded since I was a child. Why?"

Elrond sighed and shook his head. "Gondor truly has fallen then, if that is the case. For the Passages to the Other Worlds were opened last night. Lady Aerin came from the First World, the same realm as Lord Michael and Lord Phillip, and we believe she is vital for the safety of Middle Earth. For what happens here affects all the rest of the Worlds and often a savior from the First World is chosen to aid another World in times of distress."

Boromir's eyebrows climbed into his red-ish hair. "The Passages have opened?" He looked AJ over again, as if determining her capabilities, before turning back to Elrond and saying, "They have made a mistake! They would not allow such a young girl to come into a war such as this!"

"A moment ago," interrupted Arwen, "you thought the Passages were nothing more then old wives' tales. And the Passages never make a mistake when choosing a savior! You speak folly of power you could never comprehend!" AJ noticed, with a hint of smugness, that Legolas's expression was one of surprise and disbelief. _That ought to show him I am no one to be pushed around! Not even by a Prince!_

Boromir wasn't convinced. "How could a small _child_ such as this" –AJ bristled again at being referred to as a child- "be the savior of Middle Earth? Even if she did come through the Passages, she is too young and weak to be effective in a fight! At least Michael and Phillip were fighters!"

"Actually", spoke up Gandalf, "Lord Phillip only fought two battles in his life. He was normally too afraid to actually pick up a sword. However, he was a superb leader, which is why Gil-galad placed him in charge of a small regiment of Elves. They were the distraction force that kept Sauron occupied while Elendil attacked. That was one of the only battles where Phillip actually had to fight, and he hated it. He was, in truth, a peacekeeper, not a soldier."

Boromir scowled. "I still say she is too young and weak. Can you not send her back? Request an _actual_ warrior?"

AJ glared back at him. "The Passages are closed. There is no way for me to return, so you are stuck with me. And what makes you think I cannot fight?"

Arwen hissed something at AJ, probably along the lines of, "Shut up!" but AJ was committed. She would show this stuck-up that she was not defenseless! She instinctively started reviewing karate moves from the senior belt class. Some moves from Bassai Dai… Empi… Tekki Shodan… some of the weapons training her sensei had given her…

Boromir looked down his nose at AJ. "I make it a point not to fight with women. You are too weak to fight back anyways. You are smaller, even then normal, with no muscle on you at all!"

AJ mentally cursed her petite frame before snapping back, "We have a saying in our world that dangerous goods come in small packages. I'd be careful who I was calling weak if I was in your place!"

Boromir looked like he was going to say something particularly nasty before Elrond rose. "Boromir, return to your seat. Aerin, some restraint on your part, please." The teen nodded coolly before glaring Boromir back to his seat, where the man smirked in her general direction. Arwen gripped AJ's arm, pulling her back into a semi-relaxed position.

Gandalf tried turning the conversation back to 'safe' territory. "Aragorn is still right about the Ring. We can not use it!"

Elrond nodded his agreement. "You have only one choice: The Ring must be destroyed."

A split second passed before Gimli the Dwarf got to his feet. "What are we waiting for?" With that, he swung his huge battle axe up and onto the Ring lying on the stone. A crash and a blinding light later, he was laying on his back, being helped up by those nearest him, with little bits of axe littering the stone podium. The Ring, however, came away without even a scratch.

Elrond sighed. "The Ring can not be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade." He looked around the Council. "One of you must do this."

Boromir groaned. _What_, thought AJ, _another speech?!_ The Man went into a whole woe-begone verse of how evil Mordor was and how impossible this task was. He was interrupted by Legolas standing back up and snapping, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

Gimli, now in a very grouchy mood from the axe incident, demanded "I suppose you think you're the one to do it?"

"And if we fail," cried Boromir, also rising to his feet, "what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

Gimli chose that moment to loudly declare, "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!"

That sent the Council into complete pandemonium. Every single Elf in the area, Arwen and Elrond excluded, leapt to their feet to defend themselves. The Men found themselves in disagreement with what Elrond had spoken and were turned on by Elves who happened to hear. The Dwarves were still in the thick of things, voicing their discontentment with Elves. Even Gandalf was involved, yelling at Boromir about how evil the Ring was. Elrond looked like he had a migraine.

AJ remained where she was between Arwen and Aragorn, thinking. _Maybe this is why I was sent here, to help destroy this Ring… It makes sense, in a way, that whoever saves this world saves the others. Maybe I am supposed to take it…_ Then she remembered the feeling of pure evil in her mind and shuddered. _How would I survive a journey dealing with that? A minute was bad enough!_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Frodo, who had up till this time sat on the sides of the fight, jumped up and shouted, "I will take it! I will take it!" Silence fell over the Council as the Hobbit declared, "I will take the Ring to Mordor!" He hesitated. "Though, I do not know the way."

Gandalf smiled and stepped forwards. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn was the next to rise from his seat. He knelt in front of Frodo. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," volunteered Legolas the spoiled prince.

"And my axe," growled Gimli. AJ almost laughed at Legolas's expression of longsuffering.

Her amusement was quelled when she realized, in her heart, this was her purpose in Middle-Earth, to help destroy the Ring. She rose. "It appears that this danger affects my home as well as yours. I do not know what aid I can give you, Frodo, but you have it in whatever form it comes in." She took her place standing next to Aragorn, not missing the triumphant grins that Gandalf and Elrond exchanged. Arwen was beaming.

AJ stifled a groan as Boromir stepped forwards. "You carry the fates of us all, little one." He spoke to Frodo, but AJ could sense his disapproving look. "If this is indeed, the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

A sudden yelp from the bushes, followed by a Hobbit-sized figure charging into their midst, startled AJ. She only stopped the strike instinct demanded when she realized it was Sam. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"

"No indeed," said Elrond, amusement dancing in his eyes, "it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not!"

The amusement turned into irritation when Merry and Pippin joined the group with excited cries. "You'll have to send us home tied in a sack to stop us!" declared Merry.

"Anyways," added Pippin, oblivious to Elrond's look of indignation, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing!" AJ caught Merry hissing "That rules you out, Pip," and had to force herself to not laugh at the comic duo.

"Ten companions," mused Elrond. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great!" crowed Pippin. A moment later, "So… where are we going?"

AJ could have strangled the Hobbit.

***I have no idea how to spell the Elvish words Aragorn said to Legolas, so feel free to yell at me for that typo. And I know, it was mostly AJ's POV from the actual movie scene… But, I couldn't think of a better way to work her in. Pneumonia does that to your mind, evidently…**

**By the way, I am changing the title of this to "Unwilling Savior" or something along those lines, and it will be changed by the time the next chapter goes up. Just so you know, so you don't have to look for a really lame title anymore… just a moderately lame one ;) **

**Keep the comments coming!**


	8. Training

**DISCLAIMER: YA!! It's MINE! All mine, precious!!!... *trails off under the withering glare of Tolkien's ghost, backed up by Gandalf and Elrond* Ahh!! No!! I don't own it! I'm borrowing it without permission, that's all! I promise I'll give it right back!**

**-I do own AJ, Lord Michael and Lord Phillip, but currently no one else –**

**I know, I said I was changing the title to "Unwilling Saviour" but that has currently been vetoed… I still may change it later on, or maybe that'll be the title of the second part of the series… What, you didn't think I was going to fit the entire Trilogy into one story, did you??**

AJ rolled over in bed, and then sat up at a sharp knock. She gasped at the unfamiliar surroundings before the events of the previous day flooded back to memory. _Did I really just promise to accompany a 3 foot high midget across all of Middle Earth to destroy a piece of tacky jewellery? I can't have!_ The knocking increased. _I think I did._

Arwen stood at the door, a smile on her face. "Still in bed? It's a beautiful day!"

AJ scowled, bleary-eyed. "No time when one could still be admiring their own eyelids is considered 'beautiful' in my world." Arwen just laughed. A horrible thought suddenly occurred to AJ. "Wait a minute; this is the day Aragorn said he was going to start me on weapons training, right?"

Arwen nodded with a grin on her face. "He actually asked me to find you since you were taking too long. He's been up for an hour."

AJ yelped as she shot off to find some training clothes in the wardrobe. "An hour? Good grief, what time is it?"

Arwen laughed again. "About half an hour after dawn." She came over to the wardrobe. "Oh dear, there aren't any decent training clothes in here." She frowned. "And I doubt that you will want to fight in a dress."

AJ shuddered. "Sure as heck not! Is there someone here I can borrow training clothes from? Something not involving a skirt?"

Arwen thought for a moment before looking with distaste at AJ's clothes from yesterday, which had been the T-shirt, hoodie and jeans she was wearing when the Passage sucked her into Middle-Earth. "I suppose those will have to do for now. I'll see what I can do about arranging some other clothing, but in the meantime, wear those for training. Believe me, you will want to return here and change into something else afterwards, since your clothes will never smell quite the same again."

AJ groaned at the prospect of smelling like an audition for a deodorant commercial before grabbing her clothes (which already smelled slightly ripe) and vanishing into the washroom.

The facilities weren't what she was used to. Automatic plumbing was evidently a luxury confined to her own world, replaced here by a bucket of water, used to flush away the evidence of one's visit. Hot water was produced by heating the (normally very cold) water over the fire until it reached the desired temperature. It was very primitive, but AJ decided she would have to put up with it. After all, the Elves had lived this way for what, thousands of years? If Arwen could put up with this for the 2 ½ thousand years that she claimed to have lived, AJ could deal with it for a few months.

She finished her business in the washroom and came out to find Arwen leaning against the bed, patiently waiting. AJ paused only long enough to grab the same blue cloak from yesterday and the two left, passing through the kitchens as they did so for AJ to have a bite to eat. The bread, even though eaten hurriedly, tasted amazing. Even the water here tasted different then in AJ's home, better and more wholesome. _If nothing else, I could get used to the food here!_

The training fields, located behind the stables, were already busy with various creatures in some form of combat. The majority of the people practicing were Elves, although AJ could see some Men, and even a pair of Dwarves sparring with an assortment of weapons. The archery range located on the far side of the sparring fields was humming with the sound of arrows sailing through the air before meeting the targets, a fair distance away from the archers themselves. AJ inwardly groaned when she saw Spoiled Elf-Prince Legolas practicing with the archers. He paused only enough to glare before turning away from her.

Aragorn was waiting underneath a tall tree, a number of weapons beside him. He was lazily cleaning off his long sword when AJ and Arwen approached, seemingly oblivious to the happenings around him. AJ was slightly startled when the man spoke, not looking away from his task. "Finally decided to climb out of bed, did you?"

AJ blushed, hoping that no one would see. "I have never been able to wake up before 10 without being physically dragged out of bed in my own world." Her school attendance records could testify to that little fact.

Aragorn laughed softly before standing up, sheathing his sword. "That may well be the first thing we will have to change! In the mean time, have you ever taken any form of fight training in your world? Or is that a skill not practiced?"

AJ thought back. "We have one form of fighting called martial arts, used to defend ourselves from attackers in, say, a back alley. That form of fighting doesn't use weapons besides one's own hands and feet, and I don't think it would be very effective in a war, or whatever we are doing. I also took a few archery lessons, but I was truly horrible at it."

Aragorn nodded. "And your knives?"

AJ shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know how to fight with them very well; I just had them for defence in case my karate didn't work." Upon seeing Aragorn and Arwen both give her blank stares, she quickly clarified; "Karate is the form of martial arts that I practiced at. There are a million different styles, my style is very basic."

Aragorn nodded again, slowly, as he processed this information. "Could you show me something from your… karate, was it? I would like to see how that would be effective."

"Umm, sure." AJ stepped a small ways back from Aragorn, checked to make sure she had plenty of space, and set herself into the ready position for a kata. _Hmm, which one? Tekki Shodan, Bassai Dai… _She almost yelped in shock when Aragorn pulled out a wooden practice sword. "Um, the way I learned this, and probably the easiest way for me to show you, is in a kata. It is a predetermined fight, set against imaginary opponents."

That earned her a frown, but Aragorn nodded and lowered the sword. "All right, let us see this kata. And this is without weapons?"

AJ nodded. "That's right. The katas in karate are created with the assumption that I am weapon-less." She readied herself, taking a deep breath as she reviewed Bassai Dai in her head. _A black belt kata should work…_ She stared directly in front of her, imagining a hulking mugger in front of her. _60 degree fall, 'storm the fortress'…_ She let herself fall into the first move, landing it perfectly, before turning to her next imaginary opponent. _Block, turn, block…_ The moves came back to her with ease.

She finally finished the long kata and held her last stance for a moment, relaxing her breathing, before gracefully drawing herself back up to face Aragorn and Arwen. She was pleased to see they both looked fairly impressed with her kata. Light applause startled her into turning around, where a group of Elves were standing. They had evidently been highly impressed with her kata. Legolas was also watching, a critical expression on his face, before he curtly nodded and went back to his archery. AJ felt a strong hint of smugness on seeing that she had impressed him.

That feeling, however, vaporized when Aragorn said, "That seems suitable for a street fight, but I doubt you would be able to hold your own if an Orc should attack you. I think that I will start you with the bow, since you already know a small bit, but I will also teach you some sword-fighting."

AJ nodded, still slightly breathless from the long kata. "Sounds good. When do we start?"

Aragorn started walking to the archery range. "Now."

AJ hesitated before following him to the archers, Arwen beside her. The Elf leaned over and whispered, "It may not help you against the Orcs, but that was a very interesting fight style! I wouldn't mind learning it."

AJ's eyes widened. "Um, sure, I can probably teach you some basics later on, after this training session…" She hoped all her dojo experiences hadn't abandoned her in the few months since she had taught the minor belts. It was one of the duties of the black belts, to instruct the beginners. She had hated it. She couldn't teach children. The adults hadn't been much better.

Aragorn had found an empty field, safely away from the other archers, and had procured a bow and some arrows from his quiver. He then turned to AJ. "I do not know how far you have advanced in the archery of your world, so I will watch you shoot a couple of times before deciding how much I need to teach you."

AJ grimaced. "Be warned; I learned almost nothing." She took the bow Aragorn offered her, as well as an arrow, and managed to get the arrow notched onto the string. She could almost hear Aragorn shaking his head in dismay at her clumsiness with the weapon.

With the arrow finally on the string, AJ brought it up and pulled the string back to her face. She managed to aim in the general direction of the target, despite the pain from holding back the arrow, and…

Aragorn gripped the bow and lowered the arrowhead to the ground, allowing AJ to relax her shoulder. "You really didn't learn anything about archery in your world! I will have to teach you from the beginning." He showed AJ how to properly pull back the arrow, and how to aim, before finally saying, "Now, fire."

AJ released the arrow and watched in dismay as it fluttered a few metres before falling to the ground. She forced herself not to turn at a certain Elf Prince's snicker. Aragorn sighed. "Let me show you." He took back his bow before selecting an arrow from his quiver. He had the bow loaded and drawn back in the blink of an eye, something AJ noted with envy. A millisecond's delay while he aimed, and the arrow was soon buried in the wood of the distant target. He turned back to AJ. "Your turn."

That summarized AJ's entire morning, until she had finally improved enough for Aragorn's highly picky standards. The sword training, he had decided, could wait for the next day. AJ was highly grateful for that. Every muscle from about her feet upwards ached, including some that she didn't know she had. Her arms felt ready to fall off, and when she got a good whiff of herself, she understood what Arwen meant by her clothes never smelling the same again. _Ick…_

Arwen had evidently been stuck downwind of AJ for most of the walk back; because she was a distinct shade paler then she normally was by the time they made it back to AJ's room. The Elf immediately pointed AJ to the washroom. "In you go! There should be a bath waiting for you, and I will try to find some suitable clothing. If I'm not here when you get out I will be in the dining hall, finding some lunch."

AJ didn't argue. The thought of a bath was very tempting, especially when she entered the washroom to find the large tub filled with steaming water. An assortment of soaps and shampoos waited next to the tub, and a soft fluffy towel waited for when she was finished. AJ had no intention of hurrying this bath!

When she finally exited the washroom some time later, wrapped in a soft dressing robe, Arwen had left. A deep blue dress lay on the bed, along with soft shoes and a hairbrush. AJ didn't like the thought of wearing a dress constantly, but decided she would have to put up with it. Besides, the dress didn't look too uncomfortable, and actually looked pretty, unlike the dresses her parents had made her wear while a child. When AJ put the dress on, it seemed to fit her like a glove, despite her short slender frame. It made her wonder, _did someone come in while I was sleeping and take my measurements? Yeech, what a creepy thought!_ She decided not to pursue that line of thinking.

After deeming herself presentable, she left her room, nervously hoping she didn't meet anyone between here and the dining hall. She felt so awkward, so unlike herself in this dress! If anything, she felt more like a Lady Aerin then an AJ. That thought wasn't very comfortable for her.

She made it to the dining hall in peace, and found it to be nearly deserted. A few Elves wandered around, some with plates of food headed to the tables, others taking empty dishes back. Arwen was sitting at a table with Aragorn and Elrond, talking about something.

AJ felt like an intruder in their conversation and would have quietly backed out, if Arwen had not noticed and waved her over with a smile. "Come and sit! I trust you found the bath to your liking?"

AJ couldn't help but smile. "Yes, very much so!" She nodded to Elrond, who she had barely seen since the Council, and Aragorn before sitting down to a plate filled with food. The smells wafted through her brain, reminding her of that quick breakfast several hours ago. Her stomach growled, causing her to blush, especially when her companions laughed. AJ decided to ignore them and eat.

The conversation continued on much the same as it had before, concerning the gardens, the horses, the latest antics of the Hobbits (Merry and Pippin, it turned out, were die-hard pranksters), and the general happenings of Rivendell. AJ listened more than she spoke, partially because her mouth was full, and also because she felt out of place discussing subjects she knew virtually nothing about. She was content to listen to the voices around her, learning about this new world.

Elrond turned to her once her hunger was satisfied and asked, "Are you certain, Aerin, about accompanying the Fellowship to Mordor?"

AJ thought for a moment. "Well, I can't back out now, can I? I said that I would help Frodo however I could, and I intend to do that."

Elrond nodded. "You have a valid point. I only hope you will be able to withstand the dangers along the way. Sauron, once he finds out about this quest, will do everything in his power to hinder you and take back the Ring. Aragorn can train you as best he can in the time before you leave, but it will still be very dangerous."

AJ lowered her eyes. "It can't be much more dangerous than my own world." She quickly looked up, changing the subject slightly. "And anyways, if destroying the evil here will make my home safe, why shouldn't I be a part of it?"

Elrond looked AJ in the eyes. "I believe it was for this reason exactly that you were brought here. I hope, Aerin, that you will be able to help Frodo. I feel that you have a vital role to play here, and that it concerns him." He then rose. "I have other business that requires my attention, but I recommend learning everything you can about Middle Earth. The library will have virtually every bit on information you could desire about this world. Arwen and Aragorn can help you if you so desire." With a soft swish of his robes, he left the dining area, leaving AJ alone with Aragorn and Arwen.

Her appetite appeased, AJ looked at Arwen. "Which way is the library? I think I should learn what I can about this danger."

Arwen smiled and stood up. "This way."

**So, the training begins… According to the book, she has a couple of months to get ready to leave, so I think I'll be doing it like that, not the few days shown in the movies.**

**Love it? Hate it? Wishing to bite my head off? POST A REVIEW! I am always open to suggestions!**


	9. A NotSo Pleasant Adventure

**DISCLAIMER: MWAHAHAHA! I have done it! I have created the One Ring that will give me control and copyrights to all great literary works!!! MWAHA- *Aragorn cuts the Ring off of my hand* Aw **_**man**_**…**

**All right, until I get the Ring back, Tolkien still owns this, and I am merely stealing it. *pouts***

AJ walked underneath some tall trees on her way to the sparring fields. She was covered in sore muscles and bruises from the last few days of training. Aragorn, she had discovered, was absolutely brutal with a sword, and the Elven twins Elladan and Elrohir were worse. AJ had no idea how she was going to survive this journey, even if they didn't meet any Orcs! Aragorn had promised constant training when they weren't walking to Mordor, possibly including stuck-up Boromir and, of course, Spoiled Elf-Prince Legolas.

The walking sounded traumatic enough by itself. AJ couldn't believe that, with the million years or so that Middle Earth had been in existence, no one had thought of cars! Or even indoor plumbing! _I hope Middle Earth isn't as big as the maps hint it is!_ Yesterday's studying in the library had resulted in Arwen teaching AJ about the geography of Middle Earth, a subject the teen had failed in school without fail. Gandalf, when he had stopped by, had pointed out the route beside the mountains he planned to take, saying it would take 40 days of walking before they reached the end of the range. He had scowled at AJ's despairing look and stormed off. Evidently wizards had hormonal issues worse than some women AJ knew.

AJ looked at the sun to tell the time, like Aragorn had taught her. Whoops, she was supposed to be at the archery range already! _Man, Aragorn is gonna be pi-_

A startled yelp escaped her lips as a wire, cleverly concealed under a pile of leaves, caught her ankle and threw her down. AJ didn't have time to get back up before _something_ fell on top of her from the branches of the tree above her. Something thick, sludgy, and smelling suspiciously like compost.

"Argh!" AJ jumped up, brushing the worst of the goop off of her. "Who the frick did this?!" She softly moaned as she saw how much gunk had falling into her sheath, gumming up her sword blade. _Bugger!_ "When I get a hold of you…"

A voice sounded from the bushes. "Oh my! We're sorry, Lady Aerin! We meant that for… for… someone else! Not you!"

AJ scowled as she pushed aside some bushes, exposing two small figures hiding from her wrath. "Merry? Pippin?" She paused. "Who did you intend this for? Because if it was for me…"

"No!" yelped Merry. "We meant it for Strider and Boromir!" A vigorous nod from Pippin confirmed the statement.

AJ wasn't entirely convinced. "I agree on hitting Boromir with this gunk, but who is Strider? An Elf?"

"No," said Pippin sheepishly, "he's really Aragorn but we call him Strider."

The teen felt her eyebrows hit her hairline. "So, why were you two trying to get them?"

Merry puffed himself up importantly. "Well, Strider y'see, he was acting all full of himself on the way from Bree to here, and we haven't yet forgiven him for the 'second breakfast' incident."

"And Boromir," added Pippin, "beat us yesterday while we were sword-fighting, and didn't even apologize for when he knocked us both down! And y'see, that's not good for a Hobbit's honour." He scowled fiercely, as if daring anyone to challenge him on the issue of Hobbit importance.

AJ forced herself not to laugh and schooled her face into a frown. "Well, I see that those might be justifiable causes, but I still am not happy with you two for mistaking me for those two buffoons! This calls for revenge from my world!"

"All right…" said Pippin slowly before quickly turning to Merry and whispering, "What's a buffoon?" He was rewarded by a shrug from his cohort in crime.

AJ rolled her eyes. "It means big stupid idiot."

"Who's a big stupid idiot?" Aragorn came walking around a tree and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. "Oh my…"

AJ glared straight at him as he struggled to contain his laughter. "Don't you say a _word!_" She turned back to Merry and Pippin to give them a piece of her mind… and released an enraged cry when she discovered the pair had fled while she was distracted. "You two little hooligans! When I catch up to you there'll be hell to pay!"

Aragorn had gotten his mirth under control and now came up to AJ, staying far enough away to avoid the stench from the compost. "Go get cleaned up. I think your lesson can wait a little while."

AJ hissed her thanks as she raced off, hoping she wouldn't see anyone between here and her room. Unfortunately for her, a muffled laugh caught her attention from a tall tree by the pathway. Looking up, she could see a flash of golden hair and a greenish-silver tunic. _Damn Elf prince!_ She stepped away until she was out of (what she hoped) was his line of vision, then wiped some of the compost-like gunk off her clothing into a ball and threw it at the golden glimmer.

She was rewarded with a furious yelp as the muck hit the Elf. With a soft snicker of satisfaction, AJ sprinted off again to her room. Hopefully she wouldn't have to throw any more goop onto anyone.

***

Legolas swung himself down from the tree, glaring in the direction that Aerin had gone. _That little self-centred mortal!_ He hadn't forgiven her for stumbling into his world, and now he was stuck with her on a quest that seemed doom to failure from the start! He was pretty sure that woman wouldn't make things any better.

He wiped the remaining muck off of his tunic where she had hit him. A moan of disgust escaped him. He had overheard the conversation with Merry and Pippin, and couldn't help but wonder where the two imps had found this collection of… he didn't want to know. He only hoped none of it had come from the bathing chambers.

An hour later, he was walking around in the gardens when he heard a soft noise. Curious, he stepped over to investigate, surprised to see Arwen and Aerin walking towards the Last Homely House with a large basket. Legolas quickly bowed out of respect for Arwen. _No respect for that little under-grown…!_ "Good afternoon, Lady Arwen. Lady Aerin." The last name came out with enough ice to chill the surrounding air. "May I be of service to you?"

Arwen smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Legolas, but we will be fine. I trust that you are well?"

Legolas smiled coolly. "As well as can be expected, my lady."

"That is good to hear," responded the Elf-lady. "In the meantime, more pressing matters concern us. Pray tell, have you seen the two Hobbits Merry and Pippin recently?"

Slightly surprised by the question, Legolas thought for a moment. "No, I have not. Shall I tell them you wished to speak with them?"

Arwen shook her head. "That will not be necessary, Prince. But I thank you anyways." She turned to Aerin. "Shall we continue with our errand?"

Aerin smiled. "Yeah, let's go." The pair turned to the house. Legolas watched them go, confusion wreaking havoc on his mind. What was in that basket, anyways…? "My Lady, may I inquire as to what is in that basket?"

Arwen turned back. "My father wishes to teach Aerin about certain herbs and medicinal remedies to be found in the wild. He sent us out to find those herbs in his garden."

Legolas nodded and was about to walk away when a frog croaked. It sounded very unhappy, muffled, and coming from the direction the two women were taking. He suspiciously turned around but was only rewarded by Aerin asking Arwen, "Did you hear something?"

The Elf prince shrugged and walked away. Maybe Lord Elrond was using frogs for some new cure of his…

***

At a time when all Rivendell should have been asleep, two high pitched, blood-curdling screams rent the night air. Two Hobbity-sounding screams, accompanied by an upset frog, a hissing cat, numerous spiders and even a salamander.

AJ lay in her bed, snickering at the sounds of the shrieks below her, and the pounding of running feet as various other inhabitants of Rivendell raced to save Merry and Pippin from whatever dangers were assaulting them. The remaining sludge on the floor, courtesy of the bucket retrieved from the tree, should keep anyone from remaining on their feet.

If that damn Elf-Prince didn't keep his mouth shut tomorrow, AJ and Arwen were going to get it from the Hobbits. However, AJ didn't think he was bright enough to figure out what they had been up to. That should ensure their safety.

Aragorn, when AJ told him of the Hobbits' plot, had been more than willing to help the women with the prank. He had hinted that Boromir had been the supplier of the cat and the majority of the spiders, although the Ranger had found some lovely specimens himself. Arwen and AJ hadn't let him bring in the critters until the sludge and other various components of the prank had been brought into the room.

Merry and Pippin, miraculously, had slept right through the setting up of the trap, something Aragorn had taken credit for by showing AJ a sleeping herb he had slipped into the pair's drinks at supper. He had been counting on at least one Hobbit getting up for a midnight snack, something he had guessed accurately. AJ rolled over as another fit of giggles came over her.

She, Aragorn and Arwen were going to feel it tomorrow when none of them had had enough sleep, but it was a small sacrifice to pay for revenge. She highly doubted the Hobbits would try something else on her again.

It was a long while later when AJ finally laughed herself back to sleep. She was totally oblivious to Elrond suspiciously poking his head into the room to check on her before leaving. Arwen had slept through the entire episode as well. _Maybe the Hobbits were wrong in saying it was Aerin… I'll ask them tomorrow if they know anything of what happened._ The Elf-Lord shrugged and silently closed AJ's door. _Time to get back to sleep…_

**Mwahahaha! Not sure who I feel most sorry for, Merry and Pippin or AJ!**

**Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Death threats? I'm open to them all! (Well, maybe not the death threats…)**

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	10. Departure

**DISCLAIMER: MWAHAHAHA! I have done it! I have created the One Ring that will give me control and copyrights to all great literary works!!! MWAHA- *Aragorn cuts the Ring off of my hand* Aw **_**man**_**…**

**All right, until I get the Ring back, Tolkien still owns this, and I am merely stealing it. *pouts***

She had been in Rivendell for over a month, preparing for the journey. Tonight was her last night in peace before she was exposed to the dangers of Middle Earth.

AJ and Arwen were currently sitting on AJ's bed, organizing her pack for the journey. The bow and quiver that Aragorn had given her, along with a knife and a short sword, lay next to the pack. AJ was already wearing her old knives from home, grateful Elrond had returned them a few days ago.

Her clothing would have little difference from the men; a pair of loose comfortable breeches, a soft tunic, a jacket and a warm cloak. Boots much the same as Aragorn's would take care of her feet. An extra set of clothing, as well as basic essentials, would occupy the pack. Blankets… sleeping pad… undergarments… feminine products… AJ had no doubt that she would hit that 'time of the month' at least once on this journey. Arwen had made sure to find many supplies for that occasion, including some basic painkillers with strict instructions on how to use them. The Elf had mentioned that Aragorn, a trained healer, could give her advice if AJ needed it, but the teen had no intention of bringing up such an awkward subject with a guy she barely knew!

AJ flexed her muscles, impressed with the way they had developed over the last month. The archery and sword training Aragorn had mercilessly drilled her on had paid off to the point where she felt capable of taking on at least a few Orcs. Even Boromir had been impressed with how far she had advanced, although AJ feared she may have ticked him off when she bested him in a karate sparring match a couple of weeks into training. It had been simple, really; a dare to punch her in the face, a choice insult to provoke him to attack, and within a couple of moves he had been flat on his back, holding his bruised jaw, and she had been standing over him with a triumphant smirk. He had barely spoken to her since. Aragorn had scolded AJ after that incident, but the teen could tell he was highly amused by the story.

Currently, the pair had finished packing AJ's few possessions and were now talking about the journey ahead. AJ sighed as she hugged her knees to her chest. "I wish you were going, Arwen. I'll need a friend to talk to."

Arwen smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Personally, I would like to accompany you, but my father would never hear of it. He is already upset enough that I wish to marry Aragorn."

AJ frowned and looked at her friend. "Why would he be upset by that? Aragorn's a really nice guy!"

The Elf studied a design on the wall for a moment before saying, "He is mortal. I am not. For me to marry him would mean the loss of my immortality. It would mean I will never be able to cross the Sea into Valinor with my people. I will die here with him."

That got a surprised look from AJ, before the younger girl reached over and touched her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry. That must be horrible."

Arwen smiled again. "It is, but I already know what my choice will be. My father is not happy with it, however, and I fear he will try to change my mind." She looked down, despair falling over her fine features. "I don't think he realizes it would kill me to leave him here." She abruptly looked up at AJ. "Enough about me! I know you have spoken about your brother and sister in your home world, but what of your other friends? What are they like?"

AJ froze. She had been more than willing to put the people she knew behind her, but they seemed to pop up like ghosts. "Umm… I don't really have many friends at home. I am what they call a loner, someone who has few, if any, close friends."

Arwen looked over at AJ, surprise replacing the depression. "No friends? What about a close male friend? There must be someone you are close to!"

AJ opened her mouth to respond… and found herself sinking back into the nightmare… the weight on top of her, the hands preventing her from screaming or fighting, the pain…

She started as Arwen grabbed her shoulder and gave her a firm shake. "Aerin!" The Elf looked highly alarmed. "Are you ill? You looked like you had seen a ghost…"

Drawing in a shaky breath, AJ forced herself to weakly smile. "No, I'm fine. That just brought up some unpleasant memories that I'd much rather forget entirely."

Arwen gazed at AJ's face, as if determining whether the teen spoke the truth, before reaching over and giving her a gentle hug. "I am sorry I made you think of those memories."

AJ shrugged off the lingering impact of the hellish memory. "It is all right, you didn't know." She hugged her knees to her chest again, shivering despite the warm fire. Her hair, now longer and fading from black to reddish brown, fell across her face, blocking her pain from Arwen. "It's a subject I don't like bringing up."

Arwen sighed before moving the pack and weapons off the bed. She then pushed AJ down until the teen was lying on the pillows. "It is late, we can do no more packing and you need your rest for tomorrow. Get some sleep."

AJ was about to argue but felt an intense weariness sink over her. "Sounds like a good idea…"

Arwen smiled, before touching AJ's forehead and softly singing in Elvish. The teen was asleep within moments, although her sleep was restless and haunted by the living nightmare.

***

She was standing at the gate to Rivendell, between Aragorn and Gandalf. Her pack had been conveniently stored on the back of Bill the pony, sparing her own shoulders for a while. Her knives were all in place, her sword hanging from her belt, with her bow securely fastened onto her quiver; within easy access should she need it. Her longer hair was tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of the way, although AJ doubted it would be so manageable within a few days.

Most of Rivendell had come out to watch the Fellowship leave. Arwen stood with some other Elves who lived in Elrond's house. Elrond himself stood in front of the company, all set for a speech. "The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. Upon you who travel with him no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will."

His dark eyes travelled over the group. "Farewell, and may the blessings of Elves, and Men, and all Free Folk, go with you."

There was a moment's pause before Gandalf said, "The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer." AJ watched Frodo as he slowly turned away from the Elves and walked through the Fellowship to the gate of Rivendell.

The teen could hear him whisper, "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"

She stifled a grin as Gandalf hissed, "Left." _When he said he didn't know the way…_

AJ turned around at the last moment to receive an encouraging smile from Arwen, which the teen returned, before leaving Rivendell and venturing into the unknown dangers of Middle-Earth. She could hear Aragorn following her after a pause but didn't bother turning around. She knew if she did the temptation to stay among the Elves would be overwhelming.

She looked to her side as Gimli fell into step beside her, giving her a cordial nod. A soft noise to the other side warned her of Merry and Pippin, both of whom gave her sheepish, if not suspicious, looks. Somehow, the pair had figured out who had set the prank in their room. AJ blamed Legolas who, when interrogated, had plead innocence. However, there was now an uneasy truce between AJ and the Hobbits.

_How am I going to survive God-knows how long in the wilderness with no modern comforts, no decent music and no privacy amongst a bunch of guys, two of whom at least wish revenge on me? This is going to suck!_

Yeesh…

**All right, I know this was a shorter chapter, hopefully the next one will be longer… Any ideas? Comments? General observations? Loud protests? Let me know! Later, peebs!**

**BTW: Much thanks to those who have been giving steady reviews since the early chapters! You guys ROCK! The rest of you cool and awesome readers… look right below this paragraph… Yes, that is a magical green button that gives you cyber cookies if you click on it and add a review! Flavour of the Day: Macadamia Nut! :P**


	11. Unpleasant Secrets

**DISCLAIMER: MWAHAHAHA! I have done it! I have created the One Ring that will give me control and copyrights to all great literary works!!! MWAHA- *Aragorn cuts the Ring off of my hand* Aw **_**man**_**…**

**All right, until I get the Ring back, Tolkien still owns this, and I am merely stealing it. *pouts* I do, however, own everyone/thing you don't recognize from the books or movies. Yay me!**

It was their fourth day out from Rivendell, and AJ was wishing passionately for the modern conveniences of home. _Maybe I should have taken PE 20… _Her legs ached from walking, her feet were covered in blisters, she was convinced every insect in Middle Earth was trying to eat her alive, she had a highly irritating commercial tune stuck in her head, and above all…

She glared at Boromir. Despite how far she had advanced in fight training and keeping up with Gandalf's steady pace beside the mountains, he still seemed to think of her as a weakling and made sure to treat her as such. AJ had been ready to kill him after the second day, but Aragorn had talked her out of it. Now she just wasn't speaking to Boromir.

Or Legolas, for that matter. The spoiled Elf was almost as bad as the snobbish Man. AJ was just grateful that the Elf kept his opinion to himself, for the most part, and avoided her like the plague. Actually, most of the Fellowship, while they didn't alienate her, gave her plenty of space. _Is it because I'm a woman, or because I'm the strange other-worlder? Hmm…_

Personally, she didn't mind it too much. Gandalf and Aragorn, and sometimes Frodo and Gimli, had actually initiated conversation with her multiple times, which she carried on as best as she could. Sam, Merry and Pippin would talk to her occasionally, asking her questions about her own world, which she answered to the best of her ability. Pippin, humorously enough, seemed to have a new question with each step he took. AJ would have throttled him by now if it wasn't so comical.

Legolas and Boromir, however, seemed to take pleasure in ignoring her, which she was content with. _They're both complete jerks! If I learned anything from my world, it was not to be friends with those people!_

She was aware of Gandalf finally calling a halt to their marching in an outcropping of rocks nearer to the mountains. Wearily, she helped Sam coax Bill the pony to a shady area of grass so the animal could rest. She then wasted no time in flopping down beside Frodo on a wide ledge of rock. The Hobbit turned to her, politely. "And how do you fare this day, Miss Aerin?"

AJ rolled her eyes. "I told you in Rivendell, squirt, call me 'AJ'! And I'm totally fine, how's about you?" She was fond of the Hobbit, but some days…

The Hobbit smiled. "Fair enough, Miss AJ."

AJ sighed and shook her head. One day, she would cure the entire Fellowship of calling her 'Aerin'! At least Merry and Pippin, while they were still wary of going near her since the 'sludge incident', had settled into using her short name. _It's probably really weird for people to call someone by only letters in this world… Meh. They'll learn eventually._

The rest of said Fellowship was, for the most part, setting up camp. Sam was getting a fire going with Gimli's help and had an assortment of food with him, setting up for lunch. Legolas was standing on a tall rock, watching the surrounding countryside and talking to Gandalf. Aragorn and Boromir were being pestered by Merry and Pippin into teaching the 'art of sword-fighting', as Merry elegantly referred to it. Pippin promptly spoiled the mood by adding, "Yes, you might need one of us to save you from an Orc, and how would that work if we didn't know how to fight?" Aragorn's look was one of exasperation.

An hour later, Boromir was fencing with Merry and Pippin, with additional helpful comments from Aragorn (who, AJ noticed, had set himself on a rock safely out of the way of the Hobbits). Gimli, once the fire was going, had gone to talk with Gandalf, leaving Legolas to scout around the camp. Sam had come up beside Frodo and AJ with a plate, generously filled with food. AJ had impishly swiped a sausage off the plate while Sam glanced away to Frodo, only grinning when the Hobbit glared upon the discovery of the missing sausage. Frodo had just chuckled.

AJ could hear Gimli say, "If anyone were to note my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way around!" She watched the Dwarf turn to face the wizard. "Gandalf, we could go through the mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome!"

AJ was concerned with Gandalf's response. "No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

_Moria? Where is that? Some Dwarf city? It doesn't sound Dwarfish though. Why won't Gandalf go through it? I mean, how dangerous could it be?_

A holler attracted her attention. Boromir had nicked Pippin's hand with the sword, which had quickly escalated into a full-out brawl with both Hobbits tackling the tall Man. Laughter soon followed, especially after Aragorn tried to break up the 'fight' and landed flat on his back, courtesy of the Hobbits. AJ couldn't hold back the snickers as she watched the four of them tussle.

AJ looked back at Gandalf, wondering if he was also laughing at the antics of the 'warriors' and saw that he was staring off to the south, concern on his face. Following his gaze, the teen could see a dark cloud against the regular white cotton balls. She frowned. "What's that?"

"Nothing", answered Gimli, although he didn't sound very confident himself, "it's just a wisp of cloud!"

"It's moving fast", observed Boromir as he pulled himself up with Aragorn's help, "and against the wind."

Legolas suddenly hissed. "Crebain from Dunland!"

AJ was about to ask what that meant, at the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, when Aragorn bellowed, "_Hide!_" The teen didn't feel like arguing with that tone of voice. _If Aragorn sounds that worried…_ This couldn't be good.

She quickly pulled Frodo to his feet and grabbed the pack and weapons close at hand. She was vaguely aware of Sam dousing the fire and scattering the ashes. AJ only paused long enough to see Frodo hide under a ledge of rock, Aragorn next to him, before ducking into a narrow crevice nearby. Shoving the luggage underneath her, she pulled her grey hood above her head and crouched as low as she could, to avoid detection. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sam roll underneath another rock shelf and Boromir jump into some nearby bushes. She involuntarily winced; she had gotten a good look at those bushes earlier. _Those thorns must hurt!_ AJ immediately checked herself. _Meh. The snob deserves it._

A loud hoarse _caw_ sounded, and then a flock of black birds similar to crows came tearing by at breakneck speed. _Birds?_ AJ glanced at Aragorn under his rock, where he frantically motioned for her to be silent. _OK… but why are we hiding from a bunch of crows?_

It was a few minutes later, when the birds had finally left, that AJ was able to pull herself out of her crevice. A quick glance around showed the rest of the Fellowship leaving their own hiding places. Gandalf rose from behind his own rock. "Spies of Saruman! The passage south is being watched."

AJ was about to ask who Saruman was, but then remembered what she had learned in Rivendell. He was, evidently, a wizard like Gandalf who had betrayed everyone and now worked for Sauron. He lived in a tower called Orthanc, in a place named Isengard, close to Rohan, and was now creating Orcs armies by the dozen, or at least that's what Gandalf had said. AJ knew about betrayal, but didn't think it could be this bad…

She was dragged out of her thoughts by Gandalf's announcement, "We must take the pass of Caradhras!" Following his pointing arm, AJ looked up at a huge, snow covered, ominous appearing mountain. She inwardly moaned. _Great, now we get to climb up an avalanche waiting to happen! Why me?_

***

It was several hours later when the Fellowship finally found a new campsite, far away from the birds' route. AJ hissed with pain as she sat down, remembering the slip down the rocky hill earlier in the march. Her bruised knees now throbbed in unison with the sore muscles and tissues in her head, legs and feet. _Ugh…_ At least she wouldn't have to stay awake for dinner. Their meal had been eaten on the march, and now everyone was ready to fall asleep where they sat.

She watched Merry and Pippin collapse beside her, already half asleep. With pity rising for the two little Hobbits in their exhausted state, AJ pulled their cloaks closer over them, making them a bit more comfortable on the rocky ground. Merry grunted, something AJ translated as "Thank you" before he was out like a light.

AJ didn't even bother to pull out a blanket from her pack. _If I get cold in the night, I'll just grab something…_ She wrapped her cloak around her, positioned her pack under her head and settled down to sleep. The last thing she was aware of was Aragorn taking first watch before darkness crept over her vision.

***

Pushing, shoving, jeering. _What, couldn't defend yourself? Little 'ninja warrior', huh? You wimp!_ Someone prodded her should with something that felt distinctly sharp and uncomfortable, adding to her wounds.

She whimpered in pain and fear as she was surrounded by her former friends. Their mockery ripped open fresh injuries on her battered frame, letting her blood run out. _I'm dying. I must be dying. I hope it's quick._ She wanted nothing more than to be free of this pain.

That's when _he_ showed up. Confident smirk, huge muscles, backed up by his friends. She noticed something new to him tonight; the appearance of huge black birds that flew towards her at his bidding, scratching, pecking and clawing at what remained of her. She screamed and rolled into a ball, trying to protect herself. However, she couldn't save herself from the huge hand that picked her up and turned her to face her worst enemy.

He laughed at her terror. _You haven't changed! You're still the weak little wimp who thinks she's the strong warrior!_ The evil in the air was so thick, she swore she could have cut it with a knife. _What makes you think you can help that little midget? They don't want you here, you're just in the way! Come with me! I can make it right for you…_

She writhed in pain. _NO!_ She began to now struggle wildly in his grip, a useless endeavour that only made him laugh.

_You refuse me? I will make you see the truth! You will never win with this hodgepodge of useless scum! You will be punished for siding with them!_ His fist came sailing from his side towards her face.

AJ screamed as the punch rushed to her face, with nothing to save her. This blow would kill her…

Cool water splashed on her face. Someone was holding her shoulders down, another pinning her wrists. Another hand covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming. Panic reigned, and for a moment she struggled wildly until someone shouted, "Aerin! Wake up!"

_Aragorn?_ She opened her eyes and almost panicked again when all she saw was blackness, until a light filled the hollow where they had made camp. Frodo held a torch near her, worry evident in his huge blue eyes. With her eyes rapidly adjusting, AJ could see Boromir and Aragorn holding her shoulders and wrists down, keeping her from fighting. Gandalf was holding her head, one hand over her mouth, the other on her forehead. Legolas was kneeling beside her, holding a now-empty water skin. Gimli and the other Hobbits stood nearby, weapons drawn and on the alert for an attacker.

Gandalf looked into AJ's eyes. "Do you know who I am, child?" He seemed satisfied with her shaky nod and released her. On either side of her, Aragorn and Boromir did the same thing.

AJ sat up, searching the shadows for any attacker. She looked at Sam as the Hobbit asked. "What happened, Miss Aerin? If that was a nightmare, it was the worst I've ever seen!"

Boromir nodded. "I was on guard and heard you moaning in your sleep. I came over and tried to shake you awake, but I fear that was a mistake on my part, for you immediately started screaming and woke everyone else. What was it?"

AJ shakily shook her head. "Nothing. It was just a dream." She pulled her cloak close around her, suddenly cold. She wished everyone would quit staring at her like she had grown a second nose.

Legolas stared at her face intently. "Panic like that is not common in a normal dream, or even what you mortals call nightmares. No one who is having 'just a dream' screams loudly enough to wake the dead, unless people dream differently in your world."

AJ shifted away from that impenetrable stare. "I don't want to talk about it. Please leave me alone." She glared at Pippin when he opened his mouth to ask a question. "Please."

Gandalf sighed. "If you are sure you will be all right, Aerin, I suggest everyone go back to sleep. Boromir, I will take the remainder of your watch for you."

AJ spoke up. "Don't bother yourself, I'll take it. I'm awake now anyways." What she didn't add was that she wouldn't be able to sleep for a long while yet, if at all. She moved closer to the edge of the dell, settling into a small nook where she could see the moon illuminating some of the surrounding countryside.

Reluctantly, Gandalf nodded. "Be sure to wake one of us if you need to sleep, Aerin." With that, the rest of the Fellowship moved back to their sleeping areas, willing to rest for a few more hours.

Frodo was about to extinguish the torch, when AJ quietly asked, "May I borrow that? I'll be able to see better with it." The Hobbit thought for a moment before handing her the torch, gently patting her on the shoulder before crawling back to his blankets.

With the torch securely wedged between two rocks behind her, AJ was able to see out for miles. The moon provided extra light where the torch flame didn't reach. So far, nothing had moved out within the hills.

***

She had been sitting for several hours, and was pretty sure dawn wasn't far off, when a twig snapped in the forests to the east. AJ immediately stood up and peered into the darkness, but couldn't see anything. She shrugged, not wanting to wake Aragorn or Gandalf because of her over-active imagination creating noises, and sat down again, resting her back against a rock. She was going to regret not sleeping during the march, but the nightmare wouldn't let her rest. It had definitely prevented any weariness from penetrating her mind over the night. She wondered, _Did Lord Michael and Lord Phillip have these issues to deal with? Frequent nightmares, trauma from their own world? Probably not… _ Another thought occurred to her; _Was I brought here for my own protection? Then why am I travelling with the most high-risk group in Middle Earth? What about Mari and Jeff? What will happen to them?_

Another twig snapped. _Probably a rabbit._ There had been a lot of those last night. Although, rabbits didn't sound so noisy… _A deer?_ The twigs were snapping with alarming regularity, coming closer to the campsite. Even AJ could tell it wasn't a wild animal. Her heart racing, she crawled back to Aragorn and quickly shook him awake. "Psst!"

The Ranger rolled over and frowned, about to ask what was wrong, when the sound of something heavy falling down the hill reached their ears. Motioning for silence, Aragorn lifted his sword and gently prodded Legolas awake. The Elf sat up silently, as if listening, before grabbing his quiver and following Aragorn out of the hollow. AJ was right behind the pair, her own sword out and ready.

The three of them stealthily crept up to the base of the hill, where they could all hear something moving around. Aragorn held up a hand, motioning for a halt, before looking at Legolas and pointing to a tree. The Elf nodded and silently scaled the tall oak, where AJ caught a glimpse of him notching an arrow to his string.

Now she and Aragorn softly closed in around the creature. With the dim light, all AJ could make out was a moving bulk crawling out from under the bush it had rolled under. It seemed to be in some distress, favouring a limb and hissing with pain. AJ noticed it almost sounded human. She stepped forward beside Aragorn, ready to strike, and felt a pine cone break under her foot. In the dim light, she was just able to see Aragorn's glare.

Unfortunately, the _thing_ had heard the sound to. A weak plaintive voice called out, "Hello? Is someone out there?"

AJ felt like she were going to faint. _It couldn't be…_ She frantically gestured at Aragorn to lower his weapon, wishing she could speak quietly enough to communicate her thoughts.

The Ranger scowled before calling out, "Who are you? Name yourself!"

The voice answered, "My name is Chantania Smith, and I have no idea where I am. Who are you?"

Instead of answering, Aragorn turned back to AJ and whispered, "Do you know this person?"

AJ nodded back furiously. "She's my cousin!" Then, she hissed, just loudly enough for the intruder to hear, "Chanie! Are you hurt?"

"AJ!" The person carefully stood up. "Where are you?" She took a step forward and crumpled. "Ow! My leg!"

Aragorn quickly moved over to Chanie, AJ right behind him. "Do not move, stranger. Aerin, make certain this is your cousin."

The light had improved enough for AJ to see the blonde hair and tall frame. She only needed a moment's look at the other girl's face before demanding, "How did you get here?"

Chanie hugged AJ. "I could ask you the same question!" She looked at Aragorn. "Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Am I correct?"

Aragorn hissed in alarm. "How do you know my name?" He looked suspiciously at AJ. "What have you told her?"

Chanie quickly spoke up. "No, she hasn't told me anything. I already know what's going to happen to you, down to the lines."

Aragorn seemed totally speechless, a first in AJ's memory. He finally managed to stammer out, "H-How?"

Chanie sighed. "AJ, help me explain Tolkien to this guy! Um, it went like this; a man in our world saw your story and wrote it down, and now most people know how your journey ends. How does that work?"

An alarmed- trying-to-sound-irritated voice sounded from behind the girls. "I think Gandalf needs to hear this, Aragorn." Legolas didn't move his arrow from its aim at Chanie's back.

The teen stared at the Elf. "Put that away, Master Elf, I mean you no harm!" She used Legolas' shocked hesitation to confidentially whisper to AJ, "He is so hot!"

"Don't get your hopes up, cuz," muttered AJ in return. "He's a spoiled jerk of a prince." She snickered at Chanie's crestfallen look.

**My apologies for the ridiculously long chapter, I just really wanted to add Chanie to the story now… And hey, it makes up for the last couple of short chapters! This should keep you awesome peebs entertained until I get the next chapter out… **

**Like it? Hate it? Searching the ads for "hit-man" or "ninja"? Got suggestions for how I can make the story better? (Because we all know I could… most of my mind at present is trying to pass biology and social) **

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	12. Caradhras

**DISCLAIMER: *stealthily sneaks up behind Aragorn and decks him* YEAHYA! I have retrieved the One Ring that allows me all copyrights to all great literary works!! *Frodo jumps me and steals the Ring* Aw,**_** damn it!**_

**Fine, while one certain Hobbit remains at large, this still belongs to Tolkien. I own AJ, Chanie, Lord Michael and Lord Phillip, plus anyone else you don't recognize.**

The rest of the Fellowship was finally awake, and were now sitting around Chanie, debating her fate. AJ sat next to her cousin, lending silent support. She had a feeling Gandalf wouldn't let the newcomer be killed off instantaneously, but she didn't want Chanie to be ditched in the wilderness, especially with a sprained ankle.

Aragorn was still shaken by Chanie's uncanny identification of him when they found her, and didn't totally believe AJ's insistence that the girls hadn't secretly exchanged some crucial information about the Fellowship. Legolas had been bewildered by Chanie's comments to and about him, especially the reference to his being 'hot'. Everyone else was just puzzled. Boromir had immediately voted to leave her, upon discovering she knew the future of the Quest. That had sparked a controversy amongst the Fellowship, which Gandalf and Frodo were currently settling.

The wizard was now staring intently at Chanie and AJ. "So, Aerin, you say your kinswoman here is a prophetess of some degree?"

AJ hesitated. "Not really a prophetess or a fortune-teller like that. See, a professor in our world… um, a teacher… foresaw your adventure several years ago and wrote about it. It became a book, and later on a movie, that is still very popular in our world. I never read the book, which is why I didn't know any of you, but Chanie has studied it and knows more about Middle Earth then even some of you."

Gandalf's scowl betrayed the fact that he didn't completely buy that. "Now… Chantania, is it?... if you know as much about Middle Earth as Aerin claims, recite to me the backgrounds of all the members of our Fellowship, Aerin excluded."

Chanie closed her eyes in thought. "Frodo's parents drowned on the Brandywine River when he was small, and Bilbo adopted him afterwards. Sam has been a neighbour to the Bagginses for as long as he can remember, is a marvellous gardener, and has a certain attraction to a girl named Rosie Cotton." At this, Merry and Pippin snickered, but Chanie ignored them. "Merry is the son of the current Master of Buckland, and Pippin is the son of the Thain of the Shire. They are cousins to each other and to Frodo.

"Gimli's father Gloin was one of the Dwarves who accompanied Gandalf, Bilbo and Thorin Oakenshield to the Lonely Mountain to rid the area of the dragon Smaug. Legolas is the son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood, away to the East of the Misty Mountains. Boromir is the eldest son of Denethor, the current Steward of Gondor, and he has a younger brother named Faramir. Aragorn was raised in Rivendell by Elrond after his father was killed when he was two years old, is betrothed to Arwen Undomiel and is the last descendant of Isildur. Gandalf is one of the five Maia Wizards who came over the ocean from the West a couple of thousand years ago, and also goes by the name Mithrandir. Anything else?"

There was a stunned silence for a moment before Frodo turned to Gandalf and whispered, "She might be useful on the Quest. She could let us know when danger is about to happen and give us counsel on safer roads."

"Yes", muttered Aragorn, who had overheard the soft words, "but I would not bring her with us for those reasons alone. If we left her here, who knows who she would give valuable information to?"

Gandalf sighed. "I do not know why she was brought here, though. The Passages are only supposed to allow one person at a time through!"

"Maybe", offered Frodo, "because Aerin is a bit weaker then Lord Michael or Lord Philip were and the Passages decided she needed aid?"

"Then why did Chantania not come through the first time by herself?" demanded Gandalf. "It does not make sense to first bring the person who has no knowledge of this world, followed by someone who knows our story!"

"If I may offer a suggestion?" asked Aragorn. At Gandalf's slightly terse nod, he continued, "Perhaps Aerin was sent first because she is a fighter and can protect Chantania. I think Chantania was already injured when she came through, because I noticed bruises that were old before her tumble down the hill. She may not be able to fight, and Aerin may be here to protect her."

"Hmm…" mused Gandalf as he watched the girls, who were having a discussion of their own.

"So", said AJ, "what's happened since I left a month ago?"

"A month?" Chanie looked surprised. "I saw you yesterday, at the dollar store!" She hesitated. "What's really scary is that no one else remembers seeing you, or even knowing you existed."

"What?"

"I'm serious! I asked Chelsea if she'd seen you at all, and she was just like, 'Who's AJ?' It was really weird. She thought I was on crack!"

"Chelsea normally _is_ on something. What about the others? Mari and Jeff?"

"This was scary. I asked them about you and they both gave me this blank stare, before asking what the heck I was smoking. I left before Mari could call the psycho ward."

AJ trembled, a cold fear settling over her heart. "No one remembers me? Only you?"

Chanie nodded. "And, judging by the way this is going, no one will remember me either. I wonder what'll happen when we go back…" She pulled her cloak, borrowed from AJ, around her. "It's really scaring me…"

AJ opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Gandalf walking up to her, Frodo and Aragorn right behind him. The wizard regarded the two teenagers before him for a moment before saying, "You will remain with us, Chantania. We cannot risk letting you betray us."

Chanie nodded, a relieved sigh escaping her lungs. "Thank you, Gandalf sir. I honestly wouldn't betray you, either."

The wizard shook his head. "I've been told that before." He then walked to the rest of the Fellowship, who started packing up the camp. After a moment's hesitation, Frodo followed the wizard.

Aragorn knelt to check the wrappings on Chanie's swollen ankle. "You won't be walking on that for a while, miss. I will have the pony's baggage removed enough for you to ride until you heal."

"Again", said Chanie with a grateful nod, "thank you."

The Ranger stood to his full height. "If you don't mind an indiscreet question, I don't think all your injuries came from falling down the hill. Were you hurt in your home world?"

"Yes', answered Chanie, "I was in a car crash a few weeks ago and sprained my ankle. It had just healed up when I fell into Middle Earth and down the hill." She scowled at the offending foot before looking up into Aragorn's blank stare. "Oh. A car is… lemme see… it's a big wagon-like structure, made of metal, goes many times faster then a horse, and crashes into other cars with alarming regularity."

Aragorn just nodded before stepping to the rest of the Fellowship, directing the re-organization of the baggage for a wounded rider. AJ barely managed to stifle the peals of laughter at the man's bewildered expression. Chanie was quietly giggling under her breath so as not to hurt the poor guy's feelings.

A few minutes later, most of the packs had found their respective owners, AJ was softly grumbling about trying to fit the stupid pack beside her bulky quiver, Chanie was carefully perched on Bill's back and the rest of the walkers were ready to 'hit the slopes', as Chanie said, referring to the huge mountain they had to face. AJ had just scowled.

***

_This would make a great tobogganing slope_, thought AJ as the Fellowship trudged upwards through the knee-deep snow, a few days after meeting Chanie.

She was currently walking just behind Merry and Pippin, who had already stumbled and fallen a few times today. She was pretty sure little Pippin was smitten by Chanie, who was thankfully oblivious, and was hard pressed not to smile at the thought. _Adorable little twerp…_

She heard a grunt from behind her, followed by Aragorn's worried, "Frodo!" AJ turned around to see the tall Ranger catch the Hobbit, who had apparently slipped back down the mountain. Frodo started feeling inside of his shirt, his actions becoming more frantic. AJ felt her heart skip a beat. _Oh crap, did the Ring fall out of his shirt? How are we going to find it in all this snow?_

She didn't relax when Boromir bent to pick up the Ring by its golden chain. Instead, she became even more tense as he started to speak, mesmerized by the gold. "Isn't it strange that we should suffer so much fear and doubt, over so small a thing?" He slowly reached for the Ring. "Such a little thing…"

AJ wanted to yell at him, make him stop, but felt the Ring's evil swarm over her again. _You can't stop him. In fact, you know you want to agree with him! Why suffer because of this foolish quest? Take it now! Join him!_

_No!_ AJ shook her head, trying to get the voice out of her brain. The Ring's evil power, however, didn't ease until Aragorn barked, "Boromir!" Distracted, the Ring withdrew, allowing AJ to watch Boromir give the Ring back to Frodo. She sighed in relief as Aragorn released his sword and Boromir resumed the trudge up the slope. She sincerely hoped the Ring wouldn't try to drag her under its control again.

***

The snow was biting into her face, making it hard for her to see or breathe. The cold threatened to pull her into its deathly embrace with every step her frozen feet took. The snow drifts were already chest high on her and getting higher. She focused on clutching Chanie's shoulder beside her and trying to see Gandalf's bulky shadow in front of her.

The blizzard had been plaguing the Fellowship for the last few hours, making the trek nearly impossible. As it was, none of the Hobbits could walk and were being carried by Aragorn and Boromir. Gimli, amazingly, was still shoving his way through the snow-bank, in the wake of Gandalf and his staff, which was now doubling as a shovel at the front of the line. Bill the pony trudged listlessly behind Boromir, with Merry holding the lead in one frostbitten hand. Legolas, being the almighty pixie he was, walked on top of the snow to the group's left. AJ considered shoving him the next time he dared show those feet near her face.

Chanie, whose ankle had just healed enough for her to walk through the snow with help, kept as close to the rock face as she could. AJ didn't blame her. The drop from the edge of the narrow cliff on which they now stood had to be several hundred feet, and the snow at the bottom probably wouldn't cushion enough to save one's life.

Legolas sauntered past again, making his way to an outcropping of snow just ahead of Gandalf. He appeared to be listening to the wind for a moment before saying, "There is a fell voice on the air!"

AJ couldn't hear anything besides the wind hollowing in her ears, although Gandalf seemed able to, because he yelled, "It's Saruman!" At that, a dozen boulders fell from the heights above, narrowly missing the Fellowship.

AJ and Chanie clung to each other for warmth as Aragorn yelled from behind them, "He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" _ Whatever clued you in, genius?_

"No!" shouted Gandalf as he climbed up beside Legolas. He started chanting into the wind, but to no avail. Even AJ heard the voice calling back in response before lightning struck the mountain peak above them. The teen looked up, just in time to see a thick heavy blanket of snow falling down. She cried out a warning as she shoved Chanie into the rock wall, hearing shocked yells from the male members of the Fellowship.

The snow fell hard on her, and then all she knew was cold. Cold and heavy, wet, slowly suffocating her, pressing down on her head. _I need to get out!_ She started struggling, trying to climb up, when a hand grabbed hers and yanked, abruptly bringing her head out of the avalanche. As she gasped some desperately needed oxygen into her lungs, Aragorn reached out and pulled Chanie up. With the air circulating in her system, AJ was able to lean over and help Gimli dig his way free. The Dwarf growled as he shook the worst of the snow off.

"We must get off the mountain!" yelled Boromir. _Finally! Something we agree on!_ "We make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city!"

AJ was about to ask what city that was when Aragorn hollered, "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!"

"If we can not go under a mountain", offered Gimli, "let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!" AJ knew the Dwarf was being serious, but seeing him covered in snow like a dumpling nearly made her snicker.

"I don't really care where we go", offered AJ, "as long as it has nothing to do with this damn mountain!"

Chanie sighed. "Which is the least of three evils! I'd rather take my chances with the mountain!"

Gandalf seemed to be lost in thought for several minutes before saying, in a strained voice, "Let the Ring-bearer decide." Frodo glanced up sharply from his shelter under Aragorn's cloak.

"We cannot stay here!" shouted Boromir. He was holding a very pale Merry and Pippin as close as possible to him. "This will be the deaths of the Hobbits!"

"Frodo?" Gandalf sounded worried.

The Hobbit finally announced, "We will go through the mines."

Gandalf sighed. "So be it." With that, the entire crew started making their way back down the mountain through the remnants of the avalanche.

**I know, it took a bloody long enough time to update, but I have some very good excuses:**

**I am in Grade 12. I have English, Social and Biology this semester. 'Nuff said.**

**I also have two jobs, and karate, which takes up most of my out-of-class time.**

**I was also in a chapel band, so I was practicing with the band when I wasn't at school or work, or karate.**

**My computer is being a pain in the ***. **

**So, now that we have all my (valid!) excuses out of the way, I expect reviews!! See, it's a win-win situation: I get happy reviews, you get a cyber cookie, and I might just update sooner! Clear like mud? Excellent!**


	13. A Throwing Lesson

**DISCLAIMER: *stealthily sneaks up behind Aragorn and decks him* YEAHYA! I have retrieved the One Ring that allows me all copyrights to all great literary works!! *Frodo jumps me and steals the Ring* Aw,**_** damn it!**_

**Fine, while one certain Hobbit remains at large, this still belongs to Tolkien. I own AJ, Chanie, Lord Michael and Lord Phillip, plus anyone else you don't recognize. **

**(I also don't own Day-Quill™, I'm just borrowing it without permission)**

They were somewhere between the foot of Caradhras and the gate of Moria. AJ wasn't exactly sure. She did know that she had caught a minor cold after being in that avalanche and was consequently miserable. What she wouldn't give for some Day-Quill™ or other medication…

The disgusting herbal drink Aragorn had forced down her throat earlier didn't cut it. She wanted real drugs! Although, the headache was finally dying… not that she was about to let the all-mighty healer know that! Her one comfort was that she was making everyone else as cranky as she felt.

Chanie sat beside her on a large cold rock, thankfully out of the lingering snow drifts, during one of their rest breaks on the trek to Moria. The other teen appeared to be brooding over their destination, with a constant frown on her face. AJ nudged her cousin. "Dude, you have been down ever since Frodo decided we were heading to this Moria place! What's eating you?"

Chanie started, before looking at AJ. "Suffice it to say, not all of us are coming out of Moria alive. I am worried about who one person to die will be." Her voice was very soft, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear this depressing conversation.

AJ frowned, adopting the same vocal volume as her cousin. "Not all of us are leaving alive? Didn't that Tolkien person say who would die?"

"He was assuming that no one from our world could come here and change things. Even if I hadn't come, you by yourself could alter the entire story of the _Lord of the Rings_. I hope Moria won't end in the same way that it did in the original story, but I can't shake the feeling that someone is going to die under the mountain." Chanie shrugged. "Maybe it's just me…"

"No." AJ touched the older girl's shoulder. "We should keep an eye out for what could change. Maybe you're here to change the future. Maybe that feeling is just a warning to look out for the others."

Chanie sighed. "Maybe. In any case, I still would have rather taken my chances with the mountain, or maybe at least with the Gap of Rohan. We could have cut through Fangorn Forest and avoided Saruman that way, but what do I know? I only know how Tolkien wrote the story!" She sighed, her frustration evident.

AJ opened her mouth to offer some more encouragement words, even though they sounded cliché to her own ears, when a movement caught her eye. Legolas walked past, casting a cursory glance over the girls before moving over to Aragorn. AJ idly watched him pass, looked down at the dirt under her feet, and glanced up again- only to see Legolas looking in her direction. The Elf quickly glanced away, but not before AJ registered the piercing stare. _Eww, was he just staring at me?_ She studied the ground again, before looking up to catch the Elf's gaze. He guiltily looked away as she shuddered. _Yech, what a creepy stalker Elf! Note to self: sleep near Gimli tonight!_

She caught Chanie's amused eyes and scowled when the other teen started quietly giggling. AJ muttered, "Oh, shut up" under her breath, but that only served as fuel for Chanie's soft laughter.

AJ would have given her cousin a firm swat, but decided at the last second to vent by means of something else. Scooping a handful of wet packing snow into her hand, she started rolling it into a ball. Chanie had stopped laughing, watching AJ's actions with a bit of worry growing in her eyes. The smaller teen grinned evilly, letting her cousin squirm.

With the snowball resting on her chilly hand, AJ set her aim on her target, threw the missile, and had her hand neatly hidden under her cloak when an indignant Elf glared in her direction, brushing the remnants of the snowball off his shoulder. Aragorn suddenly found a great need to clean his already immaculate sword and Boromir began to study his shield like it was new. Gimli started fussing with his beard while Frodo quickly found an excuse to study the ground intently, trying very hard not to smile. Gandalf rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner and moved off to study the surrounding terrain.

As soon as Legolas looked away, Merry and Pippin plopped themselves down beside the girls, Sam not far behind. The trio looked at AJ quizzically for a moment before Merry whispered conspiratorially, "Not bad, but it could use some work."

AJ raised her eyebrows. "Do tell. Are Hobbits known for their aim?"

All three gave their best hurt expressions. "Milady," said Sam with all seriousness, "we have better aim then most Big People! It is a Hobbit's pride and joy, to be renowned for our throwing talents!"

AJ quickly raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "My apologies, my dear Hobbits. I would be happy to pick up some throwing tips from such masters of the art!"

Chanie snickered behind her hand. "Not at all patronizing, are we?"

AJ scowled. "Shaddup."

Pippin sighed. "All right, first off, the snowball was very well packed, so you do have some hope. If you were aiming for his shoulder, then your aim is fair, but you want snowballs to hit in the head. That's where they actually are very effective." His evil grin made AJ very worried for her own safety from snowy arsenal.

"Also," interrupted Merry, "your technique was horrible! No follow-through, which is essential for any throw! Here, let me show you." He reached down for some more snow and soon had it hurtling through the air until it hit Legolas right on his pointy ear. The Elf cast a deathly glare towards the 'throwing class', who instantaneously began a serious conversation about the various methods of growing pipe-weed, until he looked away, suspiciously glancing back towards the conspirators. Aragorn found a smudge on his sword and started polishing furiously, a grin trying to work its way up his face. Gimli started tending the fire, keeping his face turned away from Legolas at all times.

"And so, Old Toby is regarded today as the finest pipe-weed in the… All right, did you see how I did that? Follow-through and all?" Merry quickly looked at Legolas to be sure he wasn't eavesdropping, before turning back to the girls with all seriousness.

Pippin nodded approvingly. "Very nice, Merry. Couldn't have done it better myself."

"No argument there, Master Pip." Sam already had another projectile in his hand. "However, if we are going for a stealthy throw, there is a certain way in which to hold yourself. See, from here, it is a flick of the wrist…"

Sam demonstrated this new method, and was rewarded with a furious curse in Elvish from Legolas. Aragorn's laughter was barely contained as the Ranger said, "Peace, Legolas. It is only in fun!"

The Elf glared back at the Ranger. "Go kiss an Orc!" Aragorn just laughed before re-sheathing his sword and searching for his pipe. Boromir clambered to his feet, mumbling something about firewood before escaping around the rocky outcropping behind which they were sheltered and bursting into peals of laughter. Frodo crept away to Gandalf's side before letting his own snickers loose.

Pippin nudged AJ and Chanie in the ribs. "Go on! Try it yourself! Remember the follow-through!"

"And the wrist! It's all in the wrist!" offered Sam helpfully.

The girls each picked up a handful of snow, compacted into convenient balls, and threw at the same time while Legolas was otherwise occupied in berating Aragorn. None of the conspirators was able to stop laughing at the Elf's enraged yell, even when he whipped around with a murderous glare. "That is the last straw! You are about to meet your mortality sooner then you may have wished!" With that, he leapt to his feet and raced at the group, who immediately dispersed. While the Hobbits ran for the safety of Aragorn and Gimli, the girls fled to Gandalf and Frodo, ducking into the nearby bushes in an attempt to avoid being seen by the maddened Elf. A quick peep through the leaves showed Legolas had gone after the Hobbits first, who were now hiding behind Boromir's borrowed shield while yelling for Aragorn and Gimli to defend them. The girls exchanged grins as they settled down into the shrubbery. It would be a long while before they would feel 'safe' near Legolas again.

AJ was still troubled by a thought; _Why was he staring at me? That was really creepy!_

***

Several hours after the snowball incident, with Legolas still glowering at the faintest hint of a snicker from anyone, the Fellowship found themselves clambering amongst the rocks. A dense fog had rolled in, making the going even tougher. Chanie was still limping slightly on her sore ankle, and was using AJ's shoulder more often than not as a crutch.

"Frodo! Come and help an old man!" Gandalf called from the front of the line. AJ watching the small Hobbit trot up to the wizard's side, where they soon were engaged in serious conversation. The fog, however, muffled their voices, preventing the teen from overhearing their words.

Chanie smiled. "If you're wondering, Gandalf's just giving him an encouraging pep talk. No biggie."

"Ah." The girls watched Boromir pass the duo with only a passing glance. "Are you still worried about going into Moria?"

Chanie nodded, sorrow in her eyes. "I told Gandalf my fears, but I don't think he really paid much attention to what I have to say. In any case, Aragorn agrees with me, that we should have stayed on the mountain, but if he can't get Gandalf to change his mind, I don't think anyone will."

AJ sighed, but didn't get a chance to speak, because Gimli picked that moment to gasp, "The walls of Moria!" The girls looked up, focusing on the sheer rock wall that was now clearly visible, despite the mist. _Very impressive. So, how do we get in?_

***

"Dwarf doors are meant to be invisible when shut." Gimli tapped the rock wall with his axe for emphasis as he delivered his excuse as to why no one could find the gate to Moria.

"Yes," agreed Gandalf, "their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are lost!"

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" He was rewarded with a threatening growl from Gimli. AJ scowled on the Dwarf's behalf at the spoiled brat's back.

Gandalf led the group around a huge black lake near the end of the cliff to a particular section of flat wall. He started running his hands over the cliff, muttering "_Ithildin_. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." He stepped back from the wall.

As if on cue, the clouds parted from the moon, the glow of which illuminated a beautiful door on the rock face. AJ thought it looked more Elven then what she imagined Dwarven to be, but that wasn't her greatest concern. What worried her was the lack of a keyhole or some other means by which to open the door.

"It reads, 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'" Gandalf followed the words with his staff while translating the flowing script on top of the door.

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry sounded as confused as AJ felt.

Gandalf smiled. "Well, it's quite simple; you speak the password and the doors will open." He turned to the door. "_Annon Edhellen edro hi amen_!"

Oddly enough, there was no motion. Gandalf frowned. "_Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa_!"

Chanie quietly stepped up to Gandalf. "Umm, if I may?" The dark scowl warned her away before she risked being turned into a frog, or something else unnatural. AJ made a face at her cousin's obvious irritation.

Pippin remarked, "Nothing's happening."

AJ rolled her eyes. "What made you guess?" She leaned against the rocks, closing her eyes. She ignored Gandalf's despairing grumble as the wizard finally gave up.

The splash of something large made her eyes snap open, looking for a drowned Hobbit. She sighed and relaxed again against the cliff as Aragorn scolded Merry and Pippin for throwing rocks in the lake. Personally, she didn't have a problem with it, but decided not to bicker with Aragorn.

An irritated sigh from beside her dragged her out of her thoughts. AJ watched Chanie bend down to Frodo, whispering something into the Hobbit's ear. He gave her a stunned look, which she answered with a nod and a grin. Still looking at Chanie quizzically, Frodo stepped to the door, studying the script on top of the door. "It's a riddle! "Say 'friend' and enter." He turned to Gandalf. "What's the Elvish word for friend?"

AJ caught Chanie's triumphant smirk as Gandalf intoned, "_Mellon._" With a loud creak and a groan, the doors opened, revealing a dark abyss under the mountain. The girls ignored the wizard's suspicious look as the Fellowship moved into Moria.

"Soon, Master Elf, and maladies fair," Gimli boasted, "you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fire, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!" AJ pulled a hilarious grimace that nearly made Chanie collapse with pent up giggles. Gimli, thankfully, didn't notice. "This, my friends, is the home of my cousin Balin, and they call it a mine! A _mine!_"

"This is no mine," said Boromir as Gandalf's staff illuminated the darkness of the mines. "This is a tomb."

AJ hissed with shocked revulsion as she took in the rotted corpses scattered amongst the floor. Most of them wore armour similar to Gimli's, and had various weapons sticking out of them. Skeletons with faces eternally twisted into grotesque, gaping grins stared at the Fellowship, a warning to retreat. Chanie whimpered with fear and disgust beside AJ, grabbing her arm for support. Gimli's agonized cries echoed off the stone walls as Legolas hissed, "Goblins!"

Both Men and the Elf drew their assortment of weapons, ready for battle. Boromir's voice resonated into their ears. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here. Now get out of here, get out!"

Frodo seemed to agree. A yell later, and he was being dragged to the lake by a huge… _thing._ It appeared to be a huge tentacle, attached to its source under the lake. The successful wielding of Hobbit blades seemed to force the tentacle into retreat, until it was joined by reinforcements. The tentacles, which AJ decided had to belong to the largest squid in existence, shoved three Hobbits away and threw Frodo into the air, heedless of his yells for help.

Aragorn and Boromir charged into the water, swords swinging madly as they sliced off various tentacles. AJ and Legolas stood on the shore, holding their bows ready. A weapon-less Chanie grabbed Sam and Pippin, shoving them to the mines with Merry following right behind. Gimli and Gandalf took up positions to defend them, should the tentacles make it up that far.

Legolas released an arrow onto a tentacle, but AJ held still, for fear of hitting Aragorn or Boromir, or worse, Frodo. _Eventually, the source of those tentacles is going to come up, and then I'll have a good… Oh, bugger._ The source of the tentacles had just shown itself in form of the biggest, ugliest, scariest squid she had ever seen. The shock alone at seeing humongous jaws open with razor sharp teeth eager to make a meal of a Hobbit made her loose the grip on her arrow. Just as well, it pierced the thing's hide, making it roar in pain. The tentacle holding Frodo lashed out with the agony, sending the Hobbit flying into the ranks of the Fellowship. Chanie and Gandalf managed to catch him before he crashed onto the stone floor.

"Aragorn! Boromir! Out!!" Legolas gripped AJ's arm and dragged her towards the tunnel. A final shove sent her crashing into Gimli as the Elf readied his bow for another shot.

The two swordsmen needed no further encouragement to escape. Boromir raced into the mines, for all his reluctance earlier, as Aragorn dragged Legolas into the mountain. The Elf managed to release his arrow into the monster's eye, delaying it while the Fellowship fled.

Enraged, the beast's tentacles grabbed the stone doors, collapsing the entranceway behind the Fellowship. Rocks fell around AJ, encouraging her to run faster despite the corpses littering the floor. She looked back to see the final shreds of light disappear, followed by silence, broken by ragged, terrified breathing.

"We now have but one choice." Gandalf's staff provided a light, shockingly bright against the pitch darkness. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard; there are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." He started walking away from the ruins of the gate into Moria.

AJ felt the old fear of darkness creeping into her mind. A touch on her shoulder from Chanie kept her mind focused on the present as she hurried to stay near the comforting light from Gandalf's staff. She willed herself to not focus on the darkness.

"Quietly now, it is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

**Sorry it took a while… life got in the way…**

**High praises to all those who have left positive encouraging reviews for me! You guys make my day, thanks so much! Emails alerting me to reviews are always highly appreciated!!**

**Comments? Concerns? Murderous threats to send a legion of Orcs after me? Bring it! Green button, bottom of the page… **

**GOD BLESS FANFIC WRITERS!**


	14. Moria

**DISCLAIMER: *tackles Frodo and steals back the Ring* Hoo-rah! I have re-stolen the One Ring that allows me unlimited powers over all great literary works of… *becomes the victim of Sam's wrath as he steals back the Ring* Stupid, fat hobbit! **

**Fine, currently Sam owns the rights to this… until I get hold of him… Yes, precious… hiss…**

It was day two of their journey through Moria, at least according to Gandalf. AJ was pretty sure it was longer, but had no interest in picking a fight with the wizard.

She hated the underworld feeling of the abandoned Dwarf city, which had been created thousands of years before even Gandalf had come to Middle-Earth. The oppressing darkness felt so close, powerful enough to suffocate her, dragging her down into the pits of Moria with the decomposing corpses. The silence was absolute, save for their soft footsteps on the worn stone. The warm, stuffy air, polluted with the stench of death, didn't help matters any.

The stages of their journey had passed by in a blur, consisting of staying as near to the comforting light from Gandalf's staff as much as was humanly possible, cautiously watching the remainder of the Fellowship to make sure no one wandered off, and numbly staring into darkness during the bleak watches of what her body insisted was 'night'. AJ couldn't wait to get out of Moria, and she was convinced the rest of the group shared her opinion.

Chanie was still sure someone would die in the mines, which had AJ concerned. _Is it going to be Frodo? Or is someone else going to bite the bullet protecting him? Is it me?_ She kept an extra careful eye on the Hobbit anyways, her cousin's fear spreading to her. Frodo was the most likely target for an attack, and so would be the most protected… or at least, that was the theory.

She touched Chanie's arm lightly for balance as she inched her way along a narrow path, set high above a yawning hole. The dense shadows prevented her from seeing more than a few feet out, but she was pretty sure it would be fairly deep.

Just ahead, Gandalf paused to run his hand down a vein of a silvery substance within the rock wall. "The wealth of Moria lay not in gold, or jewels, but _mithril._" He extended his staff over the pit, increasing the glow from its end. AJ looked down and gasped in shock.

The Dwarves had maintained an extensive mining operation whilst in Moria, as the ancient scaffolding and other equipment suspended over the gaping abyss. Even with the increased output from Gandalf's oversized wand, the bottom of the hole was invisible. For that matter, so was the top. AJ was completely stunned. _How did they do it?_

Gandalf lessened the intensity of the light emitting from his staff as the Fellowship continued its journey. "Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him." AJ could vaguely recall hearing about how Frodo's uncle Bilbo had travelled with Gimli's father, as well as a group of other Dwarves, to drive a dragon out of their mountain home. It was in that journey that Bilbo had picked up the Ring that now hung around Frodo's neck like a lead weight.

Gimli's gasp echoed in the cavern, "That was a kingly gift!"

"Yes", agreed Gandalf. "I never told Bilbo, but its worth was greater then that if the Shire!"

AJ's eyebrows met her hairline. If the little country where the Hobbits lived could be bought with one chain-mail shirt, it was either a really nice shirt or a really trashy country. If the Shire residents in the group were any indication, the odds were swinging towards the shirt being really nice.

In front of her, Chanie was softly smirking. AJ bumped her cousin's arm. "Ok, dish out, what's the joke?"

Chanie just smiled back. "You'll see!" AJ rolled her eyes at the annoying sing-song voice and stuck her tongue out, earning a soft laugh before the trek continued past the gaping abyss into what Gandalf said was the more 'civilized' side of Moria.

***

Day 3... Or maybe 4… It was near the end of the journey, for which AJ was grateful.

She leaned against a small outcropping of stone, one of many pieces of rubble. Around her, the rest of the Fellowship sprawled on the stones as they waited for Gandalf to decide which road to take. The almighty wizard was lost, and now the subject of Merry and Pippin's whispering.

Gimli was sitting near AJ. He looked over, sympathy creasing his face. "You are uncomfortable with being here, lass. Is it being under a mountain, a problem our dear Elf dislikes, or the dark?"

AJ made a face. "The dark. I've been deathly scared of it since I was little." At Gimli's concerned look she continued; "When I was four years old my older brother locked me in a dark closet and then 'forgot' to tell my father where I was. It was several hours before they found me, and by then I had developed a permanent fear of the dark."

Nearby, Boromir shuddered in sympathy. "That sounds like what happened to one of my cousins. He still hates small enclosed spaces."

AJ sighed. "Aye, that is common in our world, to be afraid of small places. We have a name for it; claustrophobia." She shuddered. She could still remember the feeling of soft coats against her that felt suspiciously like spiders, the suffocating feeling from being trapped in pitch darkness overwhelming. "I still will not willingly go into any place where I can not see anything."

"I remember that," nodded Chanie. "You were too terrified to even go in the room with that same closet for months."

AJ made a face at the memory but didn't get a chance to answer, for at that moment Gandalf called out a triumphant, "It's that way!"

"He's remembered!" crowed Merry as the Fellowship prepared to follow the old wizard down one of the staircases.

"No," answered Gandalf, "but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." He luckily didn't see AJ roll her eyes and give Chanie a bemused look. _Follow your nose? How lame is that?_

***

They had been hiking for a long while when they walked through a large doorway into what felt like an open space. Of course, with the damn darkness, AJ couldn't tell. For all she knew, they could have walked into another Dwarf sized tunnel.

"Let me risk a little more light," murmured Gandalf as the staff illuminated more. AJ gasped as the huge cavern was revealed to be a series of magnificent graceful pillars, holding up the immense weight of the stone above their heads. The pillars stretched into Dwarrowdelf as far as the eye could see, giving the impression of a gigantic city. AJ could imagine a large crowd of Dwarves once bustling about the columns in their regular lives… before the city was deserted. She had no clue what could have driven the Dwarves away from here, besides a full-scale Orc attack.

They had been walking through the city for perhaps an hour when they saw a doorway up ahead. Gimli shot one glance through the door before shouting, "No!" and racing into the small room, ignoring Gandalf's warning voice. Chanie moaned slightly, her face the absolute expression of sorrow.

The rest of the Fellowship followed Gimli into the small room, which was littered with decaying corpses. The Dwarf himself was kneeling in front of a white oblong rock, bitterly weeping. Gandalf read over the Dwarf's shoulder; "Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." The wizard sighed. "He is dead then. It is as I feared." Any further words he may have wished to say were drowned out in another heart-wrenching wail from Gimli.

AJ shifted uncomfortably as the old man bent to lift a huge book out of the hands of the skeleton holding it. She was aware of Legolas muttering to Aragorn, "We should leave now. We cannot linger." For once, AJ agreed with the Elf.

"They have taken the bridge, and the second hall." Gandalf's voice resonated in the small chamber, captivating the small audience. "We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. Drums. Drums in the deep." He turned the page. "We cannot get out. They are coming."

Pippin chose to spoil the moment by nudging the arrow sticking out of a corpse sitting on a well. Unfortunately for the Hobbit, the displacement of the cobwebs sent the rest of the corpse crashing down the well, with enough racket to be heard all across Moria. No one in the chamber with Balin's tomb dared breathe until the last echoes had died away.

Irritably, Gandalf stalked over to Pippin and snatched back his staff and hat, given to the Hobbit for safe-keeping. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

_Ouch_, thought AJ. _Harsh!_ She did not get a chance to say anymore, though, as drums sounded from up the corridor. Even Gandalf froze, fear painfully evident in his eyes. _Drums in the deep! Is this what happened to the last Dwarves? Did they die here like we're about to?_ AJ wondered if she and Chanie would go home if they were killed here, or if they would go to… well, whatever afterlife there was here in Middle-Earth. _I don't want to die!_

"Get back!" roared Aragorn, startling everyone into motion. "Stay close to Gandalf!" He shoved Chanie to stand with the Hobbits, AJ following.

She was already reaching for her bow, unhooking it from her quiver. A moment's hesitation, and she turned to Chanie. "My hands are full, take my sword! You need it more than I do; I have my knives as well."

Chanie hesitated before reaching around her friend and drawing the sword. She set herself into a karate stance, no doubt wishing she had taken the weapons training class. The Hobbits clustered behind her, their own weapons drawn. Frodo's sword was glowing lightsabre-blue.

Boromir raced to the door, risking a quick peek outside and nearly losing his head for it, as a couple of arrows buried themselves in the rotted wood. He managed to force the doors closed, just as a roar echoed into the chamber. The tall Man's voice sounded slightly exasperated. "They have a cave troll!" He and Aragorn started wedging the doors shut, using the old axes Legolas tossed to them.

Gimli climbed onto the tomb with a growl. "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" AJ concluded that Dwarvish revenge was a very nasty thing to be a recipient of.

She loaded her bow, standing along Aragorn and Legolas, who both had their arrows lined up towards the door. The shrill cries of the Orcs were clearly heard by all. The door started to tremble under the force of constant blows on the weakened barrier. Holes started appearing in the wood, which Aragorn and Legolas easily shot through. AJ tried, but ended up embedding her arrow in the door, earning a rolling of the eyes from Legolas. She would have liked to glare at him but didn't get a chance, as all hell suddenly broke loose.

AJ was numbly aware of firing a single arrow into one Orc's face, a millisecond before she had to pull out her knives, using them as short swords against the goblins. She could hear Chanie behind her, guarding Frodo with the borrowed sword. Bloodthirsty war cries were coming from both sides of the fight, but AJ's throat was too tight for her to release more then a squeak.

She didn't know how long she had been fighting for, when a ghastly roar sounded. Dust and rock fell to the floor as the cave troll barged into the room, bellowing. AJ recoiled, not only from fear at having to face the 10 foot beast. _That may be the ugliest thing I have ever seen!_

Spinning, she took down an Orc with a high roundhouse kick to his throat, whilst musing on how random thoughts were in a heated, desperate situation. _I wonder why the brain does that? Maybe it's to keep some semblance of sanity while in- Holy crap!_ She drove a dagger into another goblin's abdomen, trying to ignore the high-pitched shriek of pain from the creature and the sensation of black ooze covering her hand. _Gross!_

A quick glance to the side was all she had time for as the troll's chain came sailing around, catching her by the waist. With a cry of pain, she went flying onto a small ledge, feeling new bruises spring up all over her body. Somehow, she managed to grab a pillar and keep herself from falling, although she wasn't conscious enough to register the movement. What did penetrate her mind was the image of the troll reaching a huge hand out to grab her. She could discern the dirt caked under thick grimy fingernails, could smell the sweat coming of the beast's body. Before she could roll away, the hand grabbed her foot, dragging her off the ledge. A scream ripped itself out of her throat, a scream of terror at the painful death she was going to endure.

She suddenly went down as Boromir attacked the troll from the other side, landing on an Orc corpse, stunned. She watched numbly as the enraged animal swung his chain at Boromir, whip-like, attempting to take him down. The only thing that saved the man's life was Gimli throwing an axe at the creature, drawing attention to the furious Dwarf.

The Gondorian wasted no time in rushing to AJ, carefully picking her up. "Do you feel alright?"

AJ cautiously twisted her neck and shook out the rest of her body. Nothing appeared to be broken, just really, really sore. "For someone who was just jumped, whipped, thrown, flown, grabbed and dropped, I'm doing remarkably well, thanks for asking!"

Boromir stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and softly laughing. "Then let us rid the world of this nuisance that has committed these atrocities against you, shall we?"

AJ grinned. "I like that idea!" _Hmm, maybe he's not such a jerk after all… _The two turned back to the task at hand, startled by a cry from Frodo. The troll had just pinned him to the wall with a spear that could have belonged to Goliath. AJ hissed in alarm before reaching for her bow. She scowled upon seeing how badly broken it was. _Damn troll!_ Another thought entered her mind; _Was this the death Chanie saw? Is Frodo about to die?_

Merry and Pippin suddenly roared with rage as they jumped onto the troll's back, stabbing with their weapons. Chanie, a bruise darkening her temple, jumped in front of Frodo, sword at the ready. Beside AJ, Boromir yelled in fury as he jumped into the fray, only to jump back out a moment later as the troll's arm smashed down where the man had been a second before.

AJ raced to kneel beside Frodo. The Hobbit lay on his front, one arm stretched out in front of him. Hissing softly in shock and grief, the teen touched his shoulder, gently shaking him. "C'mon, wake up!" There was no response.

She heard the loud thud as the troll was finally brought down, followed by the sounds of a weak Aragorn dragging himself to the Hobbit with a soft "Oh, no!" Sam knelt beside AJ, fear etched into his round face.

She reached forward, helping Aragorn turn the Hobbit onto his back. She thought she heard a gasp… but wouldn't he be… She yelped softly in surprise as Frodo put a hand to his chest, breathing hard. "Holy smoke, he's alive!"

Frodo wearily sat up. "I'm alright, I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead," gasped Aragorn, in as much shock as AJ was. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!" AJ had no idea of how large a wild boar was, but she imagined it would have to be huge, to require a spear of that size.

Gandalf stepped forward, leaning on his staff, a smile on his face. "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye."

AJ frowned at the wizard and her smirking cousin before turning back to Frodo and letting her mouth fall open at the sight of the shimmering mail shirt, cleverly concealed under his regular clothing. Chanie started to giggle at everyone's startled expressions.

Gimli gasped. "Mithril!"

_Wowza, so this is that priceless mithril Gandalf was talking about? Cool!_ AJ's thoughts paused as Gimli added, with a grin, "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!"

"No duh," agreed AJ, a smile on her face.

The Fellowship relaxed for about 4 seconds, before the harsh cries of the goblins started again. Chanie's face paled, her smile disappearing. "They're coming back."

Gandalf didn't hesitate. "To the bridge of Khazad-Dum."

**Ok, I know it took forever, and here's the reasons why:**

**Technology hates me**

**Work and school got in the way**

**I was not at my computer for all of last week**

**Writer's block**

**Trying to write a Star Wars fic and getting even worse writer's block with that**

**A huge school band performance where I had to perform 6 solo guitar songs! Practice for that took the majority of my time! (And I have another huge band competition next week, so I will be most likely to busy to write… sorry!)**

**Biology 30 and Social 30. 'Nuff said.**

**There's my list of excuses, all of which are valid! Please don't hurt me! I promise I'll try to update the rest of the Moria story as soon as I can! And I'll try to get that Star Wars fic out ASAP for those who are interested… if I can get over the #$(%&^ writer's block…**

**Apologies also for the length, you now see why Moria is going to be a minimum of two chapters by itself… I haven't even started thinking about Lorien yet! But what can I say? This should make up for the multiple-week long suspense! Remember, good things come to those who wait! **

**Comments? Suggestions? Death threats involving legions of Orcs, Nazgul or Ra'zac? Bring it on! I like reviews and **_**helpful**_** suggestions! No flames! Be warned, I have friends in high places… like my Elf friends… and my Jedi karate teacher… So HA! (sorry, late at night and a wee bit too much sugar…) **

**I swear, I'll update as soon as I possibly can! Don't hurt me!**

**XS**


	15. The Bridge of KhazadDum

**DISCLAIMER: *tackles Sam and steals back the Ring* FINALLY! I have retrieved the One Ring that allows me all copyrights to all great pieces of… *Qui-Gon Jinn Force-shoves me and takes the Ring* HEY, what's with the random Jedi? This is Lord Of The Rings, you idiot!... Dangit!**

**Ok, while I'm at the Jedi Temple hunting down a certain Master, said Master owns the copyrights to these. I don't. YET.**

**(That was a hint! Go look at my Star Wars fic! All I have so far is Chapter 2 but it's evidently really good! *wink*)**

**Alright, on with the show… LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!**

The Fellowship sprinted with all haste out the door into the enormous caverns of Khazad Dum. AJ had a hand on Frodo's shoulder, urging the Hobbit to run as fast as he could despite the bruised ribs he probably had from that spear. She was currently ignoring her own scrapes and bruises, plus what felt like a cracked rib, but she knew they were going to hurt once the adrenaline kick wore off. _If we haven't died already!_

Chanie still had her sword, holding it awkwardly as she fled beside Gimli. AJ again cursed her broken bow, abandoned in the chamber with the remnants of Balin's tomb. She wished she had another sword, or even longer daggers to fight with. _Although, wings would be awesome to. Then we could fly out of here and not have to fight!_ Somehow, she didn't think her wish would come true.

A hideous shriek sounded… above her? AJ glanced up, just long enough to see the Orcs crawling down the pillars in vast quantities, before crashing into Legolas' back. The Elf turned slightly to give her an irritated glance before looking over her head, alarm in his eyes. AJ turned and gasped as the Orcs closed in behind the Fellowship, effectively sealing off all hope of retreat. A glance to the front only increased the dismay she felt.

The taller members of the Fellowship, and Gimli, backed into a huddle around the Hobbits, trying to protect them to their deaths. _Not a fat load of help that will be though! We're going to die!_ AJ kept her knives out in a defensive position, trying not to be sick at the reek the Orcs gave off. Their ugly faces sneered at their captives, mocking laughter ringing through the stone hallway. One particular goblin leered at the girls, in a more than suggestive manner. AJ shuddered and backed further into the huddle until she was tight against Merry, Legolas and Chanie on either side of her.

She was bracing herself for the final battle when she heard it. A guttural, terrifying, bloodthirsty roar, accompanied by an ominous red light. All the numerous thousands of Orcs froze, allowing complete silence to fall for a moment, before the panicky shrieks sounded. AJ watched, astonished, as the creatures beat a hasty path up the columns again, leaving the Fellowship unscathed on the floor below. Gimli chuckled but AJ didn't share the Dwarf's satisfaction. _Have we exchanged one danger for another?_

The growl sounded again, reminding AJ of chains. Dull footsteps could be heard as the red light started to move forward. AJ gripped Chanie's shoulder. "Chan, what's that?" When her cousin didn't answer, AJ shook her. "Chanie!"

The other teen opened her mouth, a voice weak with fear escaping her lips. "It is a Balrog."

AJ looked at the taller girl, alarmed by the way Chanie had gone white and was shaking like a leaf. "What's that?" She didn't like the way the rest of the group, especially Aragorn and Legolas, had grown even more scared by that pronouncement.

Gandalf answered, his voice a monotone, sounding heavy and old. "It is a demon of the ancient world. This is a foe beyond any of you." He suddenly turned towards a small door. "Run!"

His shout spurred the Fellowship into action. Eleven pairs of feet sprinted to the door in a last bid for their lives.

As soon as AJ raced through the door, she stumbled down the set of stairs she had not expected to meet her running feet so quick. Only Gimli's hand gripping her elbow kept her from following Boromir down the stairs to the edge of a ridiculously high cliff. Legolas jumped forward and rescued the tall Gondorian, pulling him out of harm's way.

Chanie grabbed AJ's arm, pulling her down a side flight of stairs after the rest of the Fellowship. Out of the corner of her eye, AJ could see Aragorn and Gandalf talking about something, and apparently disagreeing about it. She didn't have time to think about it, though, as her feet tried to run away from her again on the steep stone stairs.

The running continued for all of thirty seconds when a hole appeared in the stone staircase. AJ and Chanie hesitated along with most of the Fellowship as Legolas jumped over the chasm. _Prissy all-mighty Elf!_

Gandalf was the next to jump, caught securely in Legolas' arms. Elf and Wizard then turned back to the other side of the gap, waiting for the next jumper. AJ gently touched her cousin's arm. "Go. You'll be of more help for Frodo if you survive then I will."

Chanie nodded and squeezed AJ's wrist before leaping over the gap. Legolas and Gandalf caught her just as the arrows started to glance off the rock. Looking up, AJ could just see the goblin archers hidden hundreds of feet above their targets, firing. _Oh crap, we are sitting ducks!_

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir grabbed the afore-mentioned Hobbits and leapt over the chasm, which grew wider as a good chunk of stone fell away. AJ backed warily away from the edge of the stone, trying not to think of the long fall below her feet. _How the heck am I supposed to jump this?!_

Aragorn shoved his bow into AJ's hands as he bent to throw Sam across the gap. On the other side, Legolas was shooting as rapidly as he could. Turning, AJ set an arrow to the string, firing randomly in the direction the missiles seemed to be coming from. She had no idea if she had hit anything.

There! A quick flash of metal was all she needed. A second arrow sped upwards to meet a target. A high pitched shriek was AJ's reward for the successful hit.

"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" Gimli brushed aside Aragorn's assisting hands and leaped over the hold himself, landing just short of the safe rock. Legolas stepped forward and grabbed the Dwarf, ignoring the protests of "Not the beard!" as Gimli was dragged upwards to safety.

"Don't drop my bow!" was all AJ heard before Aragorn had lifted her by the waist and thrown her across the abyss. However, Boromir had his hands full shooing Hobbits and a Dwarf behind him and couldn't catch her. With a cry, AJ slipped, falling backwards into the chasm. Behind her, she could hear stone breaking, little bits of stairs falling by the corner of her eye. In a moment, she would be falling with the rocks, down to the centre of Middle-Earth, never to be seen again. The heavy quiver on her back weighed her down, dragging her into the abyss. She would escape death by troll, even death by Balrog, but not death by falling…

A strong hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her up against the pull of gravity. AJ managed to glimpse bright gold hair before Legolas had dragged her onto the stone shelf, away from the large gap. She managed to breathlessly thank the Elf before turning to see Frodo and Aragorn trapped on the far side of the stairs. A particularly frustrated sounding roar from their pursuer jolted a large chunk of ceiling through the stairs just behind the pair, effectively cutting off all hope of escape in that direction. AJ's heart leapt into her throat as the stone the pair balanced on starting leaning precariously backwards.

_No!_ AJ was frozen by fear. To lose Frodo, the reason for this entire journey now, would be a disaster! She watched as the two managed to stop the rock falling backwards, then gasped as the stone began to fall forwards. Legolas and Boromir moved to the front of the stairs, bracing themselves to catch the pair as they were jolted off the stone pillar. AJ managed to step out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by the bigger male members of the Fellowship as they caught the combined weight of one and a half men.

Without any further ado, the eleven fled down the stairs. AJ caught a fleeting last glimpse of the stone fragments falling to the side, crashing against the cavern's walls and disintegrating. She shuddered to think of how close Frodo and Aragorn had been to death and kept running, Chanie right beside her.

***

They had finally reached a large flat stone floor and were running pell-mell to the slender stone bridge a few hundred feet off when the smoke cloud suddenly billowed around them. AJ coughed as she heard Gandalf yell, "Over the bridge! Fly!" and moved to obey, but was halted by a sensation of overwhelming fear and evil. Looking behind her, she froze in her tracks as she saw… something… leap over the flames and land in front of Gandalf, roaring loudly. It looked like lava in a human-ish form, with huge black wings on its back. _Holy crap!_ Her heart leapt into her throat, making it hard to breathe. She wanted to move but her legs felt like they were welded into the stone floor. It felt like a nightmare. _I must be dreaming! I'm going to wake up and be back in Rivendell, or back home! This can't be happening!_

Chanie grabbed her wrist, dragging her after the rest of the Fellowship. AJ found her feet stumbling forwards, seemingly against her will, towards the bridge. She found herself following Chanie over the thin stone ledge and was halfway across when she looked down. She very quickly looked up to the safe side of the abyss. _Holy smoke! Don't look down, go straight, don't turn, don't slip, don't stop…_ She could have kissed the ground when she reached the relative safety, but didn't. Instead, she looked back towards Gandalf, still in the middle of the bridge, facing the _thing._

"You shall not pass!" _What, is Gandalf completely crazy?_ AJ could hear Frodo's denying cry, but it sounded like it was a long ways off. Her focus was directed on the showdown on the bridge. Even the Orcs had frozen, intent on the debate below.

Gandalf lifted his staff, a brilliant white light radiating from the tip and forming a bubble around him. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Arnor." None of that made sense to AJ, but she supposed it was a Wizard thing. She let loose a strangled squeak as the Balrog brought a huge glowing sword down on Gandalf. Luckily for the wizard, the sword broke apart as it hit the glowing force field around him. Enraged at the loss of its weapon, the Balrog roared at its prey.

"Go back to the shadow! The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun!" Gandalf flinched slightly as the Balrog snapped a fiery whip past his head, but then brought his sword and staff together above his head. "_You shall not pass!!_" With that cry, he brought his weapons down on the bridge. A blinding flash came from the stone, followed by… nothing.

The Balrog growled triumphantly and stepped forward, only to have the bridge crumble under its weight. With a final angry cry, the monster fell into the pit, leaving Gandalf breathing hard on the bridge. AJ made a face; evidently using big powerful spells didn't leave one unscathed. She turned to say something to Chanie, only to find her cousin with her head in her hands, softly moaning. AJ knelt, worried. "Chan?" No answer. "Chanie, it's fine, no one di-" The rest of her sentence was lost in a terrified scream as the whip snaked up from the abyss, grabbing Gandalf by the knees and dragging him down. "No!"

The wizard managed to keep himself on the bridge just long enough to yell "Fly, you fools!" at the Fellowship before he fell into the darkness, chased by Frodo's despairing cry. Chanie shuddered, tears falling down her face. AJ numbly dragged her friend to her feet and fled after the rest of the Fellowship, Boromir carrying a struggling Frodo. Aragorn followed close behind, grief marring his features.

Dodging some farewell arrows from the Orcs, the now-reduced Fellowship finally managed to stagger out of the large eastern gate of Moria to the free outdoors, east of the Misty Mountains. A cold wind blew, but AJ couldn't tell whether she shivered from the sudden decrease in body temperature or from shock and grief. She and Chanie sank onto a good-sized boulder near the rest of the Company. Chanie wept, AJ stared numbly into space. Gandalf… old, cranky, Gandalf… dead…

One tear rolled down her cheek.

*

**I'M SORRY! Life got in the way! Let me expand:**

**I am graduating high school in 18 days! That means DIPLOMAS and filling out college applications!!**

**Two part time jobs! **

**Karate class!**

**Various school band concerts!**

**Class trips!**

**CLEANING MY ROOM! (That was a multiple day adventure in and of itself!)**

**My Star Wars fic!**

**Writer's Block!**

**Grad related stuff! (Wait, did I already mention that? Meh.)**

**My computer hates me, 'nuff said!**

**As a warning, I will probably not be able to update this story for a LONG time… probably not til July when grad and diplomas are finally over. What is that saying, anticipation makes it sweeter or something like that?,,,**

**Major thanks to my loyal reviewers so far! Kaisaan Greenleaf, Edna Pests, BeachVampire17, Araloth the Random, Liliesshadow and anyone else I've forgotten… Kudos! Here's a sugar cookie for each of you!**

**And if YOU, the new reader, want a cookie… yes, you… Get back to that chair! Good! Now, scroll down… It's either a green or purple button, depending on your Internet… click on it and tell me how much you love it! (Or hate it, I s'ppose…)**

**Again, sorry an update will take forever, but better late then never! I'll try to update soon-ish, honest!**

**/Xaja\**


	16. Arrival in Lorien

**DISCLAIMER: *Jumps Qui-Gon and retakes Ring* FINALLY! My One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Powers! Mwahahaha- *Mace Windu charges me with his lightsabre and takes the Ring* Say WHA?!**

**So, until I figure out how to take down another certain Jedi Master, he owns Lord of the Rings. I don't. Grr.**

**By the way, sorry this update took so freaking long, work and stuff got in the way… and my muse was being held hostage by my Jedi-trained plot bunnies… yeah. (On the plus side, I FINALLY have high-speed Internet at my house, so I can update a wee bit sooner, hopefully! Woot!)**

**Anyways, don't hurt me, here's the new chapter! Hope you like!**

Aragorn had pushed the remaining 10 members of the Fellowship hard ever since their escape from Moria, allowing only a few moments to grieve before moving East, away from the mountains. He had mentioned a forest nearby that he wanted to get to before nightfall, when he predicted the Orcs would come from Moria in hot pursuit of the Fellowship's blood.

AJ had sunk into a sort of trance, speaking in monosyllables, barely showing response to life around her. Chanie, at least, was talking a little bit, although her voice was lined with sorrow. Most of the other members of the Fellowship were reacting to Gandalf's fall in the same way as the girls.

Aragorn was now running a few metres ahead of the rest of the group, splashing through a small creek and pausing on the other side. He appeared to be looking ahead at something in the distance, but all AJ could see was a haze of greenish-grey mist. She blindly continued to stumble forwards, down the bank to the water.

Her catatonic state ended the moment her boots made contact with the mountain stream. _Holy stinking crap, that's cold!_ She yelped involuntarily as the icy water soaked her feet, swiftly getting through the seams in her boots. _Has no-one in Middle Earth figured out waterproofing?! _

The burden on her back suddenly got heavier as Chanie jumped on, pulling her feet out of the water. AJ twisted her head around, glaring at her cousin. "What?"

"My shoes aren't doing anything to keep the water out," explained Chanie, in a very matter-of-fact way. "That, and my ankle hurts again."

AJ growled under her breath. "What makes you think my boots are doing anything?"

"They're tall. My shoes come only to my ankles. And I still don't think that sprain from that hillside has completely healed yet."

"Yeah, but my boots are about as waterproof as your T-shirt. And you know, I didn't hear you complain about your ankle in Mo-… in the mines."

"That's because extreme temperatures make it hurt worse, and I tripped over a rock a few minutes ago. Come on, the sooner you quit complaining and start moving, the sooner you'll be out of the water!"

"And the sooner I can personally throw you back in," AJ muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." The teen forced her frozen feet to move through the cold water, trying to ignore the pain. She could numbly feel the hard rocks under the soles of her boots, particularly the sharp ones that nearly cut through the tough leather of the boots.

One rock in particular caught her foot, making her stumble forwards. She would have face-planted in the glacier water if Gimli had not grabbed her elbow, holding her up. On the other side of her, Boromir easily lifted Chanie off AJ's already suffering back and carried her across the creek, his burden too shocked to say anything.

Grateful for the Dwarf's assistance, AJ pushed herself to her feet. "Thank you, Gimli."

He stared back at her over his thick beard. "Y'sure you're all right there, lassie?" Without waiting for a reply he started moving to the other side of the creek, pulling AJ along with him.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." AJ couldn't quite stop the chattering of her teeth as she staggered out of the liquid ice, an involuntary shiver running through her body. She stumbled again as she clambered out of the stream, leaning heavily on Gimli's shoulder for support. In front of them, Aragorn had begun running again, pausing only to aid the Hobbits near him. AJ tried again to discern what the Ranger had seen in the far distance, but to no avail. She shrugged and slowly broke into a light trot, willing the nerves in her feet to thaw.

***

A couple of hours later, the Fellowship jogged across a green meadow, passing under the eaves of the golden forest. Gimli and Boromir, uneasy ever since Aragorn had announced the journey to the forest, now looked like they wanted to turn tail and run back to the mountains. Gimli now was keeping Sam and Frodo nearby, holding his axe protectivly in a defensive position. "Stay close, young Hobbits!" He looked around nervously. "They say a great sorceress lives in these woods; an Elf witch, of terrible power! All who look upon her, fall under her spell!"

Frodo jumped at that, searching the trees in alarm. Gimli, however, seemed not to notice. "And are never seen again," he whispered as he stalked forward, leaving Frodo to stare fearfully at the surrounding boughs of the trees, as if they contained said Elf witch.

"Never seen again? Then where do the stories come from?" A slight grin lifted one side of AJ's mouth as she called her answer to the Dwarf. She was rewarded with a low growl. Beside her, Chanie turned to scowl, although she was trying to hide a smirk. The taller girl's lack of attention to her feet prevented her from tripping over the tree root in front of her sore ankle and she went down hard, biting back the cry of pain.

AJ immediatley bent to help her, absent-mindly listening to Gimli brag, "Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"

AJ was ready to make another smart-alecky comment back when she realized everyone had stopped moving. She glanced up and nearly screamed when she registered the arrow positioned only an inch away from her nose. Another archer, Elven if his ears were anything to go by, kept a bead on Chanie, not allowing the girl to get up.

Another Elf, apparently the ringleader, strode forward, drawling his words in a most irritating fashion as he did. "The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." Gimli growled at that, a very courageous action, considering the multiple arrowheads pointed at him.

"Come," ordered the Elf. He turned away from the Fellowship, moving into the heart of the forest. The other Elves relaxed their bows, only enough to allow their captives to move up and after the leader.

AJ clung to Chanie's arm, trying not to stare at the Elf beside her, bow still held at the ready. _Was this supposed to happen? Are we about to die?_

***

It was dusk by the time the Fellowship, avec captor Elves, reached a tall tree in the middle of the forest. A thin silvery ladder hung down from a platform constructed high above the ground, in the uppermost branches of the tree. A pair of Elves started to climb the ladder, including their chief. With a glance back at the 'crew', Aragorn followed suit. Legolas was next, followed by Frodo and Merry.

"Oh, no. Not me. Nu-uh. Not happening." AJ tried to back away from the flimsy-looking ladder before she felt the prick of an arrowhead against her back. With a sigh, resigned to her fate, she stepped to the tree, watching Chanie grip the ladder and begin to climb. However, she didn't get far before her ankle collapsed on her, making her cry out in pain. Another Elf wordlessly pulled the girl back to the forest floor and placed her on his back before climbing the ladder, making light of his burden.

_The twit. All this because of a relapsed sprained ankle?_ AJ took hold of the ladder, hesitating when she realized it was only rope. _How do they expect me to climb this?_ However, one look from a guard and she started to scale the tree, trying very hard not to look down. She could hear Boromir behind her, feel him shaking the ladder as his weight pulled on the ropes. _Oh crud, I hope this thing doesn't break!_

Thankfully, it didn't. AJ soon found herself being pulled onto the deck by Aragorn. Several more Elves stood nearby, relaxed yet ready to move at the slightest provocation. The teen knelt beside Chanie in a corner, watching another Elf wrap the sore ankle in a bandage. The rest of the Fellowship stood or knelt elsewhere on the platform, within earshot.

The chief Elf, once everyone was finally settled on the flet, began to speak in his own tongue. His words were mainly directed at Aragorn and Legolas, who responded in the same language. This continued for several minutes, until AJ finally looked at Chanie helplessly.

The taller girl spoke softly. "The Elf is named Haldir. He and Aragorn go way back, and he knows Legolas from Mirkwood. They're currently discussing how much help we need and whether we will go into the heart of Lothlorien."

"And, will we?"

"I think so, if we stay on the plotline."

Gimli chose that moment to interrupt, letting his grouchiness show in all it's cranky glory. "So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Why don't you speak in a language we all can understand?"

The strange Elf Haldir turned to Gimli, disdain dripping from his voice. "We have not had _dealings_ with the Dwarves since the Dark Days."

"And do you know what this Dwarf says to that?" Gimli was almost sputtering with fury as he snapped something in Dwarvish.

Aragorn, obviously frusturated, turned to Gimli and bestowed upon him a withering glare. "_That_ was not so courteous!" The words came out in an angry hiss. Gimli merely glowered at Haldir, who studiously chose to ignore him as he surveyed the rest of the Fellowship. His eyes rested on the girls.

AJ tensed under the piercing blue gaze as the Elf studied the two strange women. His eyes widened slightly as he whispered, "So it is true. The Portals re-opened. These are indeed grave times." He focused on AJ's face before murmuring, "The dark light, the outcast, displaced and pressured. The scholar, not to linger long. I sense great distress about you both."

"W-what?" AJ was confused. Beside her, Chanie looked just as perplexed as her cousin.

Haldir hesitated before abrubtly shaking his head and moving on to the rest of the Fellowship. AJ turned to Chanie. "What the heck was that all about?"

Chanie shrugged. "Not a clue. I wonder what it means." AJ nodded her agreement.

The two watched Haldir as he looked over the Hobbits, freezing when his gaze fell upon Frodo. The Elf appeared to be literally scared as he gasped, "You bring great evil here!" He then turned to Aragorn. "You may go no further." On that cheerful note, he strode away from the Fellowship, leaving a distressed Aragorn to follow him towards the edge of the flet, where they started arguing in Elvish. Frodo remained where he was, looking shocked, lost and dismayed. To AJ, he looked like a lost kid that had just been told his mommy wouldn't help him.

AJ leaned slightly against Chanie, pulling her stained cloak across them both. A sudden chill was in the air, raising the hair on her arms. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, her feet ached, the bruises and cracked ribs from her fight with the cave troll were screaming for attention, her head was throbbing, and she felt as though she might break down crying at any moment. Closing her eyes, she could hear Boromir and Frodo quietly talking, their voices just softer then Aragorn and Haldir bickering in the corner.

Footsteps sounded in front of them. AJ raised her eyes to see Haldir looking down on the Fellowship. The Elf spoke abruptly. "You will come with me." He turned and moved down the ladder, leaving the rest of the Fellowship to follow him.

***

The group wearily stumbled up a steep hill, trying not to focus on their exhaustion or pain. Their Elven captors, of course, displayed no fatigue.

They paused at the top of the hill, where Haldir proudly announced, "Caras Galadhon, the heart of Elvendom on Earth, realm of the Lord Celeborn, and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

***

In the middle of the Elf city, they came upon a giant tree with a beautiful silvery staircase, spiralling around the grey bark. They climbed the staircase for what felt like hours, until they finally arrived at the top. By then, dusk had fallen, with the only illumination coming from the white lights cleverly placed around the tree.

At the top of the stairs, they were escorted to the foot of another staircase. The Elven guards backed away from the stairs, as the Fellowship waited for an audience with this Lord Celeborn.

They didn't have long to wait. A moment later, and a white glow appeared at the top of the stairs. As it moved down to the Fellowship, it faded to where AJ could distinguish two Elven silhouettes, hand in hand, stepping down one graceful step at a time. A few more paces, and the faces became visible.

AJ felt spellbound by the Lady's gaze. Deep blue eyes seemed to penetrate her mental shields, exposing all of her secrets. Gimli's words from earlier seemed to ring true with what AJ was facing.

Lord Celeborn, who up until now hadn't been noticed by AJ, spoke. "The Enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." He paused, his eyes sweeping the room. "Ten there are here, yet eleven were sent out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."

Galadriel looked at Aragorn before whispering "Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land," with much sorrow in her voice. "He has fallen into shadow."

Celeborn looked at his wife, confusion written on his face.

Legolas spoke up. "He was taken by both Shadow and Flame; a Balrog of Morgoth." At this, Chanie gasped slightly, trying to keep the tears from falling. AJ touched her arm in support. Legolas continued on, ignoring both girls. "For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf the Grey in life." Galadriel's rebuke was gentle, yet firm. "We do not yet know his full purpose."

She paused, and looked directly at AJ. The teen flinched as a voice resonated in her head. _Welcome, Aerin of the Outworld, the chosen Guardian of this age. I sense that you fear your destiny in this world._

AJ dared to mentally respond to the Lady's phantom-like voice. _I have no purpose here. Chantania is the one who is useful to this world._

_No. She knows what the Professor intended for us, but what she knows of our story is about to change. She was sent to aid you until now. Your path is set before you, but only you can chose to take it._ An image of the townhouse that AJ had called 'home' for years appeared, now burnt to the ground, with three shrouded forms on the front lawn.

_What? What is this? What's happening to my family?_

However, Galadriel had moved on and was speaking to the rest of the Fellowship. AJ focused in time to hear the words, "Go now and rest. Tonight, you will sleep in peace." She smiled, a dismissal.

AJ backed two steps away from the Lady before blackness overtook her vision. The last thing she heard was Chanie's alarmed cry, before she felt a pair of strong hands stop her descent to the floor. The tight grip, however, didn't stop her spiral into unconsciousness.

**Oooh! Cliffie! Sorry, guys, I had to throw it in! That, and I'm going to be yelled at by my boss if I don't get back to work… and I have to post this now before I go to Ontario for two weeks! Which means… no updates for a while… Sorry!**

**My list of excuses for this chapter? My muse got taken hostage by my lightsabre-wielding plot bunnies. 'Nuff said.**

**While I'm on my note, go check out the poll on my profile if you have not already done so! NOTE: I will probably still continue my original idea, regardless of the poll outcomes, but it's nice to know what my readers think…**

**See ya in two or so weeks! I'll try to get the new chapter posted before I go to Italy at the end of September… **

**Later!**

**Xaja**


	17. Unwelcome News

**DISCLAIMER: *roundhouse kicks Master Windu and reclaims the Ring* At last! My One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Powers! Mine, all mine, precious!... *Aragorn, who up to this point has been laying on the ground trying to gain his breath back, steals the Ring and runs for it* What, I have to take you down again?? Curses!!!**

**Whaddya know, a quicker update! Yay! See, I don't hate you guys, I update my stories within a couple of months! Just kidding! Truth be told, I've been cramped into a car with my two hyperactive little brothers all the way across Southern Ontario, working on my Star Wars fic, defending my laptop against the chipmunk that seems to think there are peanuts hidden on my keyboard (despite my numerous attempts to shoo him towards my younger brother, the real source of the peanuts) and chatting/fighting with my muse for an original fiction I'm trying to work on... yeah. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!**

**Thanks for waiting, hope you enjoy this next installment of AJ's (mis)adventures in Middle Earth! On with the show!**

When AJ came to, she was laying on a large pillow underneath a giant tree, a soft blanket spread over top of her. Chanie knelt next to her, a concerned expression on her face. "You okay?"

AJ sat up slowly, blinking as she tried to re-orient herself to her surroundings. The rest of the Fellowship was sprawled across the ground near the tree, under a pavilion erected presumably by the Elves. Almost everyone else was awake, and looking at her worridly. Embarassed to have so much concern focused on her, AJ threw the blanket off of her, swinging her legs to the side of the pillow. "I'm fine Chan, honest. What... what happened up there?"

Chanie sat back, relaxing. "We honestly don't know. You passed out in the middle of the Lady's request for us to remain here until we've recovered from the experience in the mines. You've been out for several hours by now, but Aragorn said it was normal for you to sleep this long, since you were under so much stress and exhaustion from Moria."

_The Lady._ AJ suddenly remembered the words the Lady had spoken to her. "Oh, holy freakin' crap..."

"Yeah, no kidding. Although, why you picked that particular moment to faint is beyond all rea-"

"No, not that. She... she spoke to me, in my head." AJ glanced around, fearful the rest of the Fellowship would overhear her and think her crazy. However, they all seemed to have gone back to whatever they were discussing, paying her no furthur heed. Still, she lowered her voice and leant towards Chanie. "She said that I would start to change what this Professor person had written about Middle Earth very soon, and that... you..." She didn't know how to finish the sentence and let her words hang.

Chanie nodded slowly, her face the picture of comprehension. "She spoke to me as well. My time here is almost finished. I was sent to help you figure out the basic plotline up to this point, but now I am of no furthur use to the story. I will merely complicate matters. You are the one who will be able to change Middle Earth's history." She smiled, touching her cousin's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll do far better at saving the world then I would."

"B-but..." AJ stammered, "but how am I supposed to cope without you in this place? I need someone who knows what the heck is going on! Who else is going to laugh at Stuck-Up Elf Brat with me? Who else will understand when I talk in normal Earthlilng vocabulary, or complain about the lack of normal stuff like indoor plumbing or cars?" Her lower back suddenly began to throb, warning AJ of another pressing matter she would have to deal with soon. _Oh, damn._ "Or certain girl issues?"

"Oh, joy." Chanie reached for AJ's pack, no longer in the pristine condition it had been in when she left Rivendell almost a month ago. "You do have something in here, right?"

"Yeah, root around, there should be something at the bottom."

"Found it!" Chanie passed AJ a packet of cloths, given by Arwen for just such an emergency. "Try the tree a few dozen paces over to your right. The bushes will help keep the guys from looking."

"Lovely" AJ muttered as she carefully rose to her feet. She quickly walked to the mentioned tree and looked around again before crouching in the midst of the bushes, mindful of thorns. Chanie came along to help shield her from wandering eyes, holding her borrowed cloak out around her while trying to act nonchalant.

"Anyway," continued Chanie as she stood in front of AJ, keeping her eyes fixed in the far distance, "you'll do fine without me. I'll give you some pointers as to what Tolkien wrote, but I don't think it'll line up anymore. I don't know how it will change with you in the picture."

AJ sighed, feeling her eyes sting with salt water. "I don't care, I wish you were staying. How are you getting back?"

"I don't know. Lady Galadriel didn't say anything about that, only that I wasn't needed here anymore."

A thought suddenly assaulted AJ's mind, bringing a growing sense of alarm. "How will you be able to fit in? I mean, no one at home remembers that I even existed! What'll happen to you when you go back?" She quickly readjusted her belt as she rose, having care of 'business' behind the bush.

Chanie dropped the cloak, now that there was no need to shelter AJ from unwanted eyes. "I don't know. I actually haven't thought about that. Maybe I'll ask the Lady about that if I see her."

AJ hugged her arms close to her body, trying to ward off the sudden chill. "Maybe we can convince her to let you stay or something..."

Dropping an arm across her cousin's shoulders, Chanie smiled sadly. "Maybe, but I doubt it." With a squeeze, she started walking back to the pavilion where the male members of the Fellowship sprawled across the ground. AJ followed, a touch slower.

Before they arrived back at the pavilion, Chanie turned and said in a whisper, "Don't say anything yet. It's best if they hear it from me when their wounds from Gandalf's fall heal a bit."

AJ nodded, and the two settled on to the soft mattress. They remained still for a while, listening to the haunting strains of Elves singing in the trees.

Legolas walked past the Fellowship, holding a pitcher of water in front of him. His worn green tunic was gone, replaced by a silvery shirt. He paused, listening. "A lament for Gandalf."

Merry looked up. "What do they say about him?"

Legolas bowed his head. "I have not yet the heart to tell you." He then turned to the Fellowship, his words directed to Merry, although his eyes found AJ's. "For me, the grief is still too near."

AJ lowered her own head, to avoid the Elf's stare as much as to acknowledge the fresh pain of the wizard's death. Chanie squeezed her shoulder in sympathy, before leaning towards her ear and whispering, "All is not as lost as you think."

Wondering if her cousin had lost her mind, AJ turned and incredulously hissed, "What?"

Chanie smirked, but before she could explain, Sam started reciting a verse of laments for Gandalf, or more accuratley of his fireworks, evidently of his own composing. "The finest rockets ever seen, they burst in stars of blue and green!" A sleeping Gimli punctuated the verse with a noisy snore, earning a smack from Aragorn. However, the interruption seemed to throw off Sam's solioquy, as he finished off the poem by muttering, "Oh, that doesn't do justice to them." He slouched on his own cushion, holding his head in his hands.

Aragorn got up and walked over to Boromir, sitting under another nearby tree. With near silence from the rest of the guys, AJ pulled herself to her feet. "I gotta, um, go for a walk. I'll be back." Chanie nodded, allowing the shorter teen to step away into the shelter of the nearby trees.

***

She didn't know how long she walked in the midst of the giant trees, bathed in the silver light that covered everything in Lothlorien, thinking about Chanie's pending departure and her own survival in the story. She was only jolted out of her thoughts into reality by the eerie sensation of someone watching her. Quickly spinning, she saw none other then Lady Galadriel herself standing nearby. AJ quickly bowed out of courtesy. "My Lady." She honestly didn't know what to say to this powerful Elf lady, especially after passing out in her throne room.

The Lady seemed to sense her discomfort and smiled. "You are not the first person who has fainted after I have spoken to them. There is nothing to be ashamed of, Aerin."

AJ smiled nervously. "Uh, yeah. Sure." She was at a complete loss for words. She wanted to ask so many questions (_Why does my cousin have to leave? Why am I here? What could I possibly do to help Middle-Earth?_), but didn't know how to phrase them properly in a way that wouldn't get her thrown out of Lothlorien.

Galadriel slowly nodded, the smile fading. "You still are disturbed by your purpose here, and why your cousin is no longer a part of this tale."

_What, can she read my mind or- Oh wait, yes she can. AJ, you idiot!_ "Yes, m'lady. I- I don't understand what I am supposed to do here."

"No one knows their destiny in life, young one. We can only act based on the moment and what we know of our circumstances, and ourselves. It is those actions that change the course of the future that would otherwise occur, whether for better or worse."

"But am I here for the better?" murmured AJ. Galadriel pretended not to hear that, patiently waiting for the girl's next concern.

It came soon. "I still don't understand why Chanie has to leave." The words were spoken quietly, sounding more like the voice of a small child then that of a teenager.

"Chantania has a role to play in another tale. Once someone is pulled through the Portals, they can not go back to their home world. The Professor's tale has you to aid it, but the Image Writer needs a Guardian from the Portals to alter that story."

"The Image Writer?" AJ was confused, but Galadriel offered no furthur hints. The teen gave up, and lowered her head dejectedly.

"Aerin, do not think that the Portals made a mistake in first bringing you here, then by sending Chantania for a short time. You are needed, desperately. Not only by Middle Earth, but all the different worlds. What happens here affects the other worlds, including First Earth."

AJ looked up, recalling the frightening image that the Lady had given her in that first meeting. "My family?"

"They will perish if you and the Fellowship fail in your quest. With every victory that Sauron gains here, his minions grow that much closer to being able to invade the other worlds. Since residents of First Earth wrote the rest of the worlds into existence, your home will be targeted first, to be followed by the other worlds. Every fantasy world created by people in First Earth will cease to produce beings of light and goodness, being overrun with darkness. Alagaesia has already experienced this, with the fall of the Riders, and is close to another disaster. Narnia will soon fall if the White Witch is not defeated. The Jedi are in grave danger of being destroyed by the darkness they foolishly no longer believe to exist. The Gaelin of Morenlon inch ever closer to destruction. And these are only some of the worlds that are in peril from the same Shadow spreading across the barriers between the worlds that the Portals cross. And only Guardians from the world that created the others can stop the advancing darkness"

AJ staggered back, overwhelmed by this pronouncement of doom. "Will all of the worlds recieve a Guardian from the Portals to help them?"

"I do not know, Aerin. It is not my place to determine the actions of the Portals. I do know that Chantania is required elsewhere, where she is more desperately needed." Galadriel laid a hand on AJ's shoulder. "And here is where you are required."

The girl's eyes lowered. "I think I understand why the Guardians are needed. But... I don't know why I was the one chosen to save Middle Earth."

Galadriel smiled, sadly. "That was what Lords Michael and Phillip said, when they came. They were terrified of what they had to do, yet they were able to save Middle Earth from the first two great evils. I have faith that you can continue their legacy."

AJ looked back up, before smiling in gratitude. "Thank you, my Lady." Feeling slightly reassured, she turned and softly moved away, musing on what she had heard.

"Aerin."

She turned back to see the Lady standing still. "Do not be ashamed of your name by covering it with an alias of initials. Your name alone has great significance, Daughter of the Ocean." With that, she turned and walked off, leaving AJ standing in the trees, utterly perplexed.

_Daughter of the Ocean? What the frick?_

***

She eventually found her way back to the pavilion. Legolas was gone, probably off with his Elven buddies, and Frodo was conspicuosly missing, although AJ doubted the Hobbit could have found danger in the sheltered forest. Everyone else was sprawled on cushions, asleep. Aragorn raised his head and opened an eye when she walked past, before going back to sleep, satisfied that there was no imminent danger.

Chanie stirred as AJ flopped onto the mattress next to hers. "Mmf? AJ?"

"What?"

"You okay? You were gone for a while."

"Yeah." AJ waited until her cousin's breathing levelled off before muttering, "And Aragorn's a Dwarf. I'm not all right! What am I gonna do?"

******************

**Dun dun duuuuuun!!**

**I might end up writing Chanie's adventures in another world with the Portals, but I'm not sure about that yet. It'll have to wait til after I finish this story and it's sequels... What, didja think I was going to write the entire Trilogy in one fell swoop?? I'm not that skilled!! **

**Oh yeah, I suppose I should add that I don't own Alagaesia, Narnia, or the Jedi (darn!) mentioned in the story. I merely borrowed them without permission. I do own Morenlon and the Gaelin that I mentioned, since they star in the original fiction story I am attempting (and failing miserably) to write... Don't expect that tale to make the bestseller's list anytime soon! However, it **_**might**_** go on FictionPress when I get to working on it... Assuming I don't get hit with writer's block again! The bane of all writer's everywhere... *sigh***

**You know the drill, read and review! Thanks, peebs!**

**///Xaja\\\**


	18. A Farewell

**DISCLAIMER: *smacks Aragorn upside the head and retakes the Ring* Wohoo! I have rescued my One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Powers, for the umpteenth time! Yay! *Boromir hits me with his shield and runs off, yelling something about "the weapon of the enemy for Gondor!"* WHAT? I have to retrieve it AGAIN? Aw, darn it!**

**As I think you may have figured from the above disclaimer, I don't own Lord Of The Rings. If you did not catch that, give yourself a swat upside the head. From all of us.**

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Keep 'em coming! Enjoy the next chapter of AJ's Great Misadventure!**

************

A week later, Aragorn called the Fellowship together for a brief team meeting. Once the other nine Walkers had seated themselves on the soft turf, he announced that they would be leaving the next day to continue their dark journey towards Mordor, now that their grief over Gandalf and their various physical wounds had healed. Since he was now in charge of the group, he was anxious to press as fast as they could manage to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. He mentioned that Lord Celeborn had been generous enough to gift the Fellowship with boats to speed their journey south.

Once the Ranger had finished speaking, he sat down, indicating the end of the meeting. However, Chanie quickly rose. "May I say something, Aragorn?"

The tall Man looked surprised, but nodded.

Chanie looked at each member of the Fellowship carefully, to gauge their reactions to the news of her departure. AJ, true to her word, had not spoken a word concerning her cousin's dismissal from Middle Earth, and she doubted that Chanie had told even Aragorn the startling news.

The tall blonde paused for a moment, before she spoke. "I'm leaving." Her voice was quiet, and traced with sorrow.

The male members of the Fellowship sat motionless, stunned. Pippin finally worked up the nerve to ask, "Why?"

Chanie sighed. "The Portals allowed me to come here only for a little while to help AJ figure out how the Professor had intended your story to go. However, the events that are about to happen are different then what was written, and I cannot help her anymore."

"Are you going back to the First Earth then, lass?" Gimli stared at Chanie over his bushy beard, dark eyes filled with sadness.

"No. Lady Galadriel said that once a person leaves their home world, they can never return. I am being sent to another world to aid in their own war against the Shadow."

Boromir thought for a moment. "Is Aerin staying with us?"

AJ spoke up. "Yeah. Evidently, I was only destined for Middle Earth. Unless the Portals decide differently after this war is finished, you're stuck with me for life. Feel special."

The guys remained still for a moment longer, before Aragorn rose to his feet again. "Chantania, it grieves us all that we are losing another valuable member of our Fellowship, but we understand that you do not have a choice. I thank you for the aid you have given us on our journey, and the encouragement you have given us. Rest assured, you will be remembered by all of us."

Chanie smiled weakly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Thank you, Aragorn." Impulsively, she reached out and touched his arm. Only AJ could hear what it was Chanie whispered to Aragorn; "The path of darkness shall be your key to delivering light, to those who need it, and you. Do not fear your destiny, Estel." She dropped her arm and turned to the rest of the Fellowship. "I will never forget you, or your kindness in taking me into your company, no matter what world I am sent to."

One by one, the men rose to their feet to bid Chanie farewell. Legolas inquired, "When are you leaving?"

"The Lady said I will leave through a Portal tomorrow after you leave the forest."

"In that case," the Elf gripped Chanie's shoulder, a sign of respect between Elven warriors, "Namarie, mellon nin. Forgive me for treating you as an infidel."

Chanie smiled, returning the gesture. "Hannon le, mellon nin. There is nothing to forgive."

Legolas smiled slightly and began to turn away, before pausing and looking back at Chanie. "A question has been plaguing my mind for these last few weeks. When we first found you, you had confided to Aerin that you thought I was 'so hot'. What did you mean by that? I am no warmer then any other Elf."

AJ burst into peals of laughter for the first time since Moria as Chanie blushed crimson. The tall girl stammered, "Um..." while giving her cousin a murderous glare. "Well, um..."

Wiping tears from her eyes, AJ managed to choke out, "'Hot' is also a term used for 'ridiculously good looking' in our home world. In other words, she thought you were one of the more handsome beings she had ever seen!"

"Aerin Jacqueline!" Chanie went several shades darker, hiding her glowing face in her hands. AJ, of course, was on the ground laughing again, and was soon joined by the rest of the Fellowship. Legolas, of course, was dumbstruck for several minutes. Eventually the Elf got to his feet and strode away, the tips of his ears bright red. This, however, only made Aragorn and Gimli laugh harder at their friend's embarassment.

Finally, Aragorn managed to control his merriment enough to touch Chanie's arm. "Don't worry, he'll get over it. He just hasn't had much exposure to mortals, particularly not of the feminine persuassion."

Chanie just moaned.

************

The next day, the Fellowship had packed their meagre belongings and was preparing to go to the docks for their transportation. AJ was very quiet, already grieving the loss of her cousin. Luckily for her, the rest of the group was barely speaking either.

They were surprised to hear that Lord Celeborn had called the group to receive certain gifts from the Elves. All ten walkers stood in a line as Elvish guards carefully pinned soft cloaks to their shoulders. AJ felt the texture of the grey-green fabric, held in place with a leaf-shaped brooch. While the cloak she had been given in Rivendell was of a very fine make, the garment of Lothlorien easily shamed it.

Her pack, replenished in feminine supplies and food by a thoughtful Elf, hung on her back, beside her quiver. A new bow, courtesy of a favour called by Aragorn on one of his Elvish friends, was hooked over the quiver. She was ready to hit the water, but was stopped from moving prematurely by the sound of the Lady's voice as Galadriel approached the Fellowship, with two Elf servants behind her. The lower-ranking Elves' arms were filled with various gifts.

She started with the distributions with Legolas, at the beginning of the line. Her words were too soft for AJ, at the other end to hear, but she could see the Lady hand the archer an elegant bow, to replace his old one. He gazed at his new weapon with wonder.

Next was Boromir. He was given a belt that shimmered like gold. Oddly enough, it fit perfectly around his waist. AJ wondered if all Elves were gifted with the sixth or seventh sense of always knowing someone's exact size, or if there were Elvish garment makers who measured their clients at night while they slept. She shuddered.

Merry and Pippin were gifted with belts and small daggers, suited exactly for their tiny frames. Sam, beside them, was given a coil of Elvish rope.

Gimli, when asked, at first tried to insist that there was nothing he needed from Lothlorien, except to gaze upon the Lady one final time. AJ almost laughed again when she realized how love-striken the gruff Dwarf was, although she was slightly creeped out when he asked for one golden hair from her head. She was amazed when the Lady gave him three, without question. Gimli looked as though he were going to faint. _Whoa, um, okaaaaaay... Do all guys in this world ask for hair from their lady love? Creepy!_

Aragorn was given nothing, although the Lady did speak to him for a bit in Elvish, touching the white necklace that hung around his neck before biding him farewell. Frodo, beside him, was given a glass that glowed dimmly in the morning sun, like a star. The Lady bent and kissed him lightly on the head before moving to Chanie. "You will have no need of weapons where you are going, Chantania."

The teen nodded before unbuckling the sword she'd borrowed from AJ in Moria and returning it. "I hope you won't need this for a while, AJ."

AJ nodded. "Me too. I'm glad you don't need it, though."

"Thanks." Chanie smiled as she turned back to the Lady, now weaponless.

Galadriel turned to one of the Elves behind her, taking a necklace from the Elf's hand. She hung the blue and silver gem around Chanie's neck. "This will bring you aid in the world you will be aiding. It will grant you the ability to blend in completley to the people you will go to. Show it to the council of leaders that you will be brought to, and they will accept you as a Portal-sent Guardian."

Chanie touched the pendant before bowing. "Thank you, my Lady."

Galadriel paused, before murmuring, "Balance will never be fully achieved, young one. It is best that those you go to understand this, and take steps to ensure the side foretold by the Image Writer to be victorious will be defeated. Beware the foes in the guise of allies."

Chanie nodded, and the Lady moved to AJ. "Aerin, you will have need of this." A slim knife, silver with a turquoise gem, was handed to her. "When you feel the need to call upon your powers, this will bring you strength."

Confused, but grateful, AJ bowed again. Her fingers closed around the knife's silvery hilt. "Thank you, my Lady."

Galadriel smiled, and AJ heard the Elf's voice speak into her mind again. _Your name is powerful in itself. Use it, and its powers, wisely. You will need it soon, I fear._

_I don't understand. Of what significance is my name? What powers do I have? I'm just a normal teenager!_

_You will know when the time arrives, young one._ Galadriel walked away from the Fellowship, the Elves following.

A moment of awkward silence, and then Aragorn gestured to the boats. "We'd best load our packs into the boats." The company moved into action, setting their baggage into the small boats.

AJ, as had been decided earlier, would ride with Legolas and Gimli. She dropped her pack into the boat that Gimli was already seated in, watching in amusement as Sam nervously got into another boat. Over by the third canoe, Legolas was showing Merry and Pippin the food supplies that the Elves had supplied them with, a form of bread called _lembas_. AJ had split a piece with Chanie earlier, and had found it to be delicious, and filling.

She stepped away from the boat and looked at her cousin. Now that the time of seperation had come, both were reluctant to leave. AJ caught her in a tight hug. "I wish you were coming with us, Chan."

Chanie returned the embrace, tears escaping her eyes. "Me too. I wish we weren't being split up like this!"

"Yeah." AJ couldn't speak any more, for the tears choking her voice. She just clung to her cousin's neck, letting her actions speak for her.

Chanie sighed. "And, knowing my luck, I'll be going into a world that I know nothing about, but you have researched in detail!"

That earned a snort from AJ. "What, you think the Portals will send you to where? The Jedi? Or maybe Pellinor?"

"Or, maybe into that anime you were obsessed with in junior high."

"Ha, whatever! Storm was hot! Heck, he still is!"

The girls grinned at each other for a moment, before a call from Aragorn interrupted their farewell. The Ranger stood in his boat with Frodo and Sam, arms across his chest. He obviously wanted to leave soon.

AJ groaned softly. "I don't want to go!"

"Me neither." Chanie gave her cousin a final hug. "Take care of yourself, 'kay? I think we'll see each other again eventually, Aerin."

"You too, 'Tania." AJ forced herself to turn and walk away from Chanie to the boat she was sharing with Legolas and Gimli. Gingerly setting herself just in front of Gimli, with a spare paddle, she watched the water below her ripple as Legolas pushed the canoe away from the tree root it had been anchored against.

She looked back once, to see Lady Galadriel standing on the riverbank, raising a hand in farewell. Chanie stood beside her, a soft smile on her face as she waved good-bye to the remainder of the Fellowship.

AJ waved back to her cousin, before the river bent away from Lothlorien. One large tree passed in front of AJ's eyes, and Lothlorien, with Chanie, disappeared from sight.

************

Chanie lowered her hand as the boats moved out of sight, struggling to hold back her tears. The Lady paused for a moment, before resting a long, elegant hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know your heart lies with the Fellowship, Chantania. But your destiny calls you elsewhere. Come."

Chanie nodded and wordlessly followed the Lady through the trees, to another large clearing in the forest.

A large number of Elves stood around the edge of the clearing, watching. Lord Celeborn stood near the centre of the clearing, hands folded into the opposite sleeves of his robe. Galadriel led Chanie to stand beside the Elf Lord, before motioning her to stay put.

"I am going to open the Portal to the new world for you in the middle of the clearing. When Lord Celeborn tells you to, walk through the Portal immediatley, without hesitation. I will not be able to hold the Portal open for very long, so be swift."

"Yes, milady. Thank you." Chanie pulled her cloak tighter across her shoulders, feeling the crystal that hung on it's chain just below the brooch.

One final glance around the clearing. She nodded politley to Haldir, who returned the gesture. She looked up when she saw a large Eagle winging it's way into the forest, a limp burden in it's claw. _That'd be Gandalf, resurrected after his fight with the Balrog._ For a brief moment, pride that she was the only person she knew who actually read Tolkien's appendicies filled her heart, until she remembered that she would never use that trivial knowledge again. Sorrow replaced the pride, followed by apprehension._ Where am I going, anyways?_

Galadriel was softly speaking in Elvish, holding her hand above the centre of the clearing. A blue light, similar to the one Chanie remembered seeing before falling down the foothill of Caradhras, appeared above her hand. The spiral grew larger in size until it was a full six feet in diameter, rotating like a hurricane.

A hand touched her shoulder. "Go, Chantania. May the grace of the Valar be with you." Lord Celeborn smiled encouragingly at Chanie before giving her a slight push to the Portal.

"Thank you, my Lord," whispered Chanie as she walked to the Portal. She lowered her head for Lady Galadriel as she neared the Portal, who smiled in return despite the obvious strain of holding the massive spiral open.

The Portal loomed above her, a roar filling her ears. With a deep breath, a hand on the gem around her neck, and none-too-steady limbs, Chanie stepped through the Portal and left Middle Earth, never to return.

************

AJ gasped in surprise and turned in her seat when she felt the jolt in the air currents behind her. A lingering blue light appeared over Lothlorien in the distance.

_Chanie's gone._ The teen lowered her head, tears burning her eyes. Gimli's reassuring hand on her knee didn't help much at all with mantaining her composure.

Her head down and eyes closed, she let her own grief, combined with the soothing rythym of the boat on the river, lull her to sleep.

The nightmares returned with a vengeance.

************

***sighs* I KNOW, this took forever! I'm sorry! But my muse (lovely little green fuzzball, very cute and cuddly) has been abducted by the Jedi, who are loudly demanding I write their story first! *sigh* Characters these days... (Plus, driver's ed has been eating into my free time... But, on the plus side, I finally have my license! Yay! Go me!)**

**Anyways, now that this is finally up, REVIEW! Come on, you know you want to... **

**Question: Is AJ acting too Sue-ish for anyone's tastes? I just had an accusation of her being a Sue, and while I don't think she's a Sue (She hates Legolas! How much more anti-Sue can you get in a LOTR story?), I may just be biased to my OC... whatcha think?**

**AJ pipes up: I'm not a Sue! Honest!! I swear it!!**

**Xaja: (soothingly) I know you're not. Now get off my laptop!**

**AJ: But I like playing on your laptop! Ooh, what's this button do?**

**Xaja: NOOO! Don't hit that-**

**(censored for violence)**

**Xaja: (after beating up/restraining AJ) Anyway, now that my OC has been suitably restrained...**

**AJ: (cursing a blue streak) Lemme outta here!**

**Xaja: (irritated) Do you want me to write you into a Legomance?**

**AJ: (sulks) **

_**(In the background, Legolas can be heard screaming in panic) Noooo!!! No more OC romances!!! I can't take it anymore!! I'm going on strike!!!**_

**Xaja: ... *ahem* Please review!**

**AJ: Yes, do review! It supports my Union of Original Characters Against Abuse and Sue-ccusations!**

**Xaja: ... What?**

**AJ: You heard me!**

**Xaja: Whatever. Review! Oh yeah, and check out the poll on my profile to vote for where Chanie will go next! I already have an idea, but I'd like to hear ideas from you guys!**

**Chanie: (yells from somewhere off set) I'm still mad at you for kicking me out!**

**Xaja: Hey, eleven walkers are hard to write! And you already know everything about Lord of the Rings!**

**Chanie: So what?! All I can say is, I'd better go somewhere good!**

**AJ: (looking at poll results) How does the Jedi Temple sound?**

**Chanie: Ack! No! I know nothing about the Jedi! Aside that Yoda is small and green! And talks weird!  
**

**AJ: Well then, looks like it's gonna be Narnia! Or, one vote for Alagaesia...  
**

**Chanie: I can deal with that! I don't mind dealing with Caspi- I mean, uh, seeing Aslan!**

**(Xaja and AJ exchange A Look)**

**AJ: Uh-HUH...**

**Xaja: Well, readers, please go determine where Chanie will be going! She's not listening to us!**

**Chanie: YOU wrote me up, remember? Knowing my luck, you WILL send me to the Jedi... Or, worse, the MOVIE Eragon! Ack!  
**

**Xaja: (bangs head against keyboard) Just go vote and review, please!  
**


	19. Xaja Has Writer's Block!

**DISCLAIMER: *jumps Boromir and retakes the Ring* I have finally retrieved my One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Powers, and own all great works of literature! *victory dances into room, and makes the mistake of setting the Ring down in the mess on her desk* Oh no! Now how am I gonna find the Ring? Unless I... *gulp* **_**clean my room!**_

**Until I force myself to clean my room, I won't be finding my Ring anytime soon. Which means I don't own any of the characters or settings you recongize.**

**Sorry this isn't an actual chapter, I just had to get this off my chest!**

************** **

_Scene: Xaja's house, in the computer room. We come across Xaja rooting throughout everything in the room, including desks, computer games, her brothers' LEGO, various parental-type paperwork that we have no interest in, and stray Internet cables. The various members of the Fellowship are seated on the chairs, desks and floor, watching Xaja. Let's observe._

Xaja: No, no, no! Where is it? Where can it be?!

AJ: *horrified* You don't mean to say...

Frodo: I think she does...

Gimli: The lass has...

Pippin: LOST THE MUSE! Xaja, how could you?

Xaja: I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! I set it down _right here_ *points to floor beside bookshelf* and told it to stay, and now it's gone!

Legolas: You mean that you are leaving your readers, dangling on a minor cliffhanger, wondering for the last month and a half where the updates are?!

Boromir: Hey, it could be worse. It could be a major cliffhanger. And I'm in no hurry, I know what happens to me in the canon storyline!

Aragorn: Yes, but what about the rest of us? I want to kill some Orcs already! And I can't do that if Xaja has writer's block!

Sam: Oh, go bug Kaisaan or Araloth or even Lilly if you want some Orcs to kill! I'm sure they'll write you a battle!

Aragorn: *whiny* But it's not the same!

Gandalf: *stands up quickly* Well, I for one don't enjoy being dead, so I'll hurry up the process here and tell you where the muse is!

Fellowship and Xaja: Where??

Gandalf: *grandly* It's in... The Star Wars Fandom!

Xaja: *facepalms* Of course! The Jedi are keeping the muse hostage until I conclude the major cliffie I left on that story!

_There is a blinding flash of light, and a group of Jedi Knights suddenly appear in Xaja's already cramped computer room. Nathan, Xaja's younger brother who is also playing DJ, cues up the Imperial March._

Obi-Wan: Hey! We're not original trilogy! We're pre-prequel! There is no Empire yet!

Nathan: Ooops, sorry! *switches music to Jedi theme*

_There is a brief moment of disorientation, before the Jedi hone in on Xaja with their Force-abilities._

Mace Windu: A-ha! There she is!

Xaja: *irritably* Now just a moment, Mace! You hand over the muse, and I'll write your story! Not before!

Qui-Gon: Wait, what? We don't have the muse!

Obi-Wan: That's right, you have the muse!

Xaja: No, I don't! I thought you had it!

Cin Drallig: Huh???

Zara: We don't have it! We're waiting for you to write us out of the horrible cliffhanger you left us on!

Garen Muln: But I thought you two had been rescued!

Obi-Wan: *sighs* Garen, if you bothered to read the author's notes at the end, you'll see that she has more plans. Hence, we're on a cliffie.

Garen: But why? *sees Fellowship* Ah-ha! _They_ have the muse!

Frodo: What? No we don't! We thought you had the muse!

Mace: But _you_ had the muse!

Aragorn: No, you had it!

Merry: And you got theme music too! Where's our theme music?? I want a theme song!

Nathan: *scowls* Fine! *plays the Bridge of Khazad-Dum theme song*

Merry: *grins* Much better.

Legolas: Theme music not withstanding, where's the muse? We thought it was here, in this room!

Zara: Yeah! We want the muse!

AJ: Agreed, Jedi whatsherface! I want out of this block!

Xaja: *glares* You know, the threat to write you into a Legomance still stands.

_At this point, AJ and Legolas eye each other warily before moving to opposite ends of the room, looking very creeped out._

AJ: Ewww....

Gandalf: Hey, OC's get no say in this! In ANY fandom! *looks at Jedi* Even if they are Masters!

Cin: Hey! I'm a canon character! I have my own page on Wookiepedia!

Garen: Same here! I'm very offended!

Gandalf: *realizing he has put his foot in his wizardly mouth* Aw, damn.

Nathan: *from his computer* Hey, I know the kid brother DJ has no say...

Qui-Gon: *rolls eyes* Teenagers.

Obi-Wan: Hey!

Nathan:... but wasn't Mom talking to you the other day about getting off fan-fiction and writing your original fiction?

All Canon and Original Characters: *GASP!*

Xaja: Oh, yeeeaaaaaah.... That's gotta be where my muse is!

_As if on cue, Xaja's mom opens the door to the computer room, knocking Merry and Pippin out of the way. Behind her are three strange-looking people from Morenlon_

Mom: Well, here's some of your original characters from your original fiction. They want to talk to you. *looks around* And you had better clean this room up when you're done! It looks like your bedroom! *escapes to kitchen or wherever moms go to escape teenage daughters and their fandom characters*

Boromir: Let's hope the muse isn't in there, otherwise we'll never see it again!

Gimli: Tru dat.

OF Character #1 (Talisken): Hey you, authoress! When are you getting around to writing something besides the outline?

OF Character #2 (Pedaen): Yeah! All we've got so far is me and whatserface being born! No theme music either!

OF Character #3 (Nevaeh): Shaddup. I've still got more on-page time then you have!

Xaja: Whoa... My own original characters in my house... yelling at me to write faster...

Talisken: Damn straight! Now, where's the muse? Are you gonna tell us that we've been replaced by... _fan fiction stories??_

Xaja: What? I thought the muse was hiding out with you guys!

Mace: So did we!

Gandalf: And us too!

Talisken: Umm... So, it's not in here?

All Other Characters: *shake heads*

Pedaen: Damn. So, we don't even have theme music?

Nathan: How are you supposed to have theme music when there's no movie or _completed_ and published book about you?

Pedaen: Oh. Can you make something up anyways?

Nathan: Hmm. *scrolls through iTunes library and starts playing "Rawkfist" by Thousand Foot Krutch* Howzat?

Nevaeh: *desperatley* _Turn it off!_

Xaja: No taste in music whatsoever. What am I gonna do with you?

Nevaeh: Write me?

Xaja: Oh yeah. First though, I need my muse. Now, maybe it's at Bethany's hou-

_Xaja never gets a chance to finish. For out of nowhere, a bright light shines, blinding everyone. When the light goes away, we see seven teenage boys standing on the Hobbits, Dwarf and Padawans, seeing as there is no more space in the computer room. One seems to be holding something under his leather jacket. They all look around for a moment..._

Steve: Hey! Where's our theme music??

Nathan: *wide-eyed and horrified* I'm having bad memories... of sitting through Mr. Z's class, reading The Outsiders...

_Nathan appears to be traumatized by the appearance of characters from the dreaded assigned reading from Grade 8. Xaja rolls her eyes and starts playing "Kountry Gentlemen" by Family Force 5._

Darry: Wait a minute! That band is almost 50 years after us! Wrong time period!

Xaja: *scowls and turns up volume*

_Pony, Johnny and Two-Bit all start dancing around to the music. It should be noted that at this point, the remaining Greasers (For yes, that is what they are! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: The Outsiders Fandom!) look completley traumatized by what their fellow gang members are doing. Dallas looks like he's gonna be sick._

Dally: I think I'm gonna be sick.

Xaja: Not on my floor, you don't! My mom will kill me! *directs Dally to bathroom*

_While this is happening, the other characters from various fandoms are suspiciously looking at each other. The Hobbits are hiding under the computer desk by Nathan's feet, whispering amongst themselves while looking at the Jedi's shiny lightsabres. The Jedi, in the meantime, are holding their lightsabres close to themselves while glaring suspiciously at the newcomers, who are snickering at the clothing everyone else is wearing. Except for Pony, Johnny and Two-Bit, who are now dancing to "Love Addict". The rest of the Middle-Earthlings appear to be in a serious discussion with the Morenese OCs, who just look completley confused about everything. Nathan looks like he wants to be very far away from his sister's writing addiction, even if that means being at school. On Saturday._

_While Dally is, er, re-living lunch, Xaja comes back to the computer room._

Xaja: Not gonna lie, it really stinks in here! So, what can I do for ya?

Soda: *tears eyes away from dancers* Uh...

Darry: *rolls eyes* You are missing a muse, am I correct?

Cin: How did you know?

Darry: It's a canon character thing. Which you would not get, seeing as you're an OC.

Cin: I'M A CANON CHARACTER!!! I'm on Wookiepeda! Why doesn't anyone write about _me?!_ *starts crying and acting in a manner not befitting a Jedi Master*

Zara: There, there, Master, I'm sure there are stories about you! We just, uh, haven't found 'em yet! Better then me, anyways... *grumbles about being an OC*

AJ: Ouch. I love how the first OC on the fanfiction site from Xaja is being completley ignored.

Legolas: That's 'cause you're a Mary Sue.

AJ: I AM NOT A MARY SUE, YOU FREAKING POINTY-EARED *_censored for violence*_

Legolas: *SHRIEK!*

_It should be noted that the Morenese OFCs have escaped back to their non-existent fandom, away from the insanity of Xaja's house. The Jedi look as though they are considering intervening in the fight, like the peacekeepers they are supposed to be, but think better of it. All the Greasers are starting in silent horror at the Elven violence taking place before them. Even the ones who were dancing. Although that might be from the music having stopped._

Pony: Aw, man... Right in the middle of a solo!

_Yep, definatley from the music, or lack thereof. In any case, the other Middle-Earthlings are trying to keep AJ's hands from Legolas' throat, with some success. Nathan is cowering in a corner, furiously texting his buddies and trying to gain some semblance of sanity. Dally returns from his trip to the bathroom, observes the fight going on, and promptly starts banging his head into the wall. After a moment's thought, Darry joins him._

Xaja: Uh-oh. I'm gonna get in crap from the fanfic writer's guild if she kills Legolas... *she takes a deep breath before invoking the Bloodcurdling Scream Of Death*

Xaja: SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Everyone freezes, even Nathan. Thus satisfied, Xaja speaks._

Xaja: Thank you. Now, what are you Outsiders doing in my house?

Steve: *menacing voice* Do you recognize this?

_He pulls something out from under his jacket. On first glance, it appears to be a large, green fuzzball, although upon furthur inspection, one can see two large black eyes admist the fur. The eyes blink before focusing on Xaja. It squeaks._

Xaja: MUSEY!!!!!!!! *runs at fuzzball, only to be stopped by various Greasers and Jedi* Muesy, come to Mommy!!! *glares at Steve* What are you doing with my muse?!

Soda: Well, ya see, when you clicked on our fanfiction page, your muse escaped the Star Wars fandom and landed up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We found it wandering in the streets and knew that somewhere, in 2009, there was SOMEONE considering writing a fic about us.

Dally: But when we let Shepard interrogate it...

Xaja: Wait a minute, you let Tim Shepard near MY muse?! You sick thug!

Dally: *shrugs* Sorry.

Xaja: *glares and grumbles under breath* My life doth sucketh most righteously.

Two-Bit: Anyways, your muse said you were working on a million other stories as well, and since we get paid per fanfic, we figured you should hurry up and write our story!

Johnny: Yeah. Especially since I'm actually alive in your version!

Dally: And me!

Nathan: Wait a minute. You get paid? And when has Two-Bit been worried about being paid?

Two-Bit: It means more beer and smokes.

Nathan: Oh.

Mace: We get paid?

Merry: Really?

Pippin: Cool beans!

Musey: *squeaks* Mommy!

Xaja: Musey!!!!!

Qui-Gon:*attempting to act like the famous negotiator he is* Well, now that we know where, er, 'Muesy' is, let's get back to writing Xaja's various stories, shall we? I think you should update ours first since we're on such a big cliffhanger.

*Various Jedi nod in agreement*

Aragorn: No way! We haven't been updated in months! The LOTR readers probably think Xaja's died!

Gimli: Which won't be too far from the truth if she doesn't start writing again.

_Another flash of light, and Pedaen appears._

Pedaen: Or, you could work on our story and possibly get paid for it!

*Pedaen is the unlucky recipient of glares coming from FF characters, both canon and OCs*

Pedaen: What?

Obi-Wan: Let's note here that I've brought in more moolah for my creator then any of you! So HA! I love being in two entire trilogies!

Yoda: Forgetting me, you are!

Obi-Wan: When did you get here?

Yoda: Amazing, I am. Between fandoms, stealth mode I use. For crossovers, works great, it does.

Obi-Wan: Oh. But I'm still in more Star Wars movies, even though I'm a ghost for the last two. Go me!

Yoda: Shut up, you will.

_Another flash of light..._

Sam: What now??

_... And Chanie appears in the office._

Chanie: Hey, AJ.

AJ: Hey, Chan. How's the new fandom working out?

Chanie: That's my problem. I STILL don't know what fandom I'm supposed to be in! *glares at Xaja* And whose fault is that?

_In response, Xaja points accusingly at Greasers._

Chanie: Ah. Okay, hand over the muse. I wanna get written! I'll be the first OC to be in two different fandoms!

Darry: Not until we've at least had the first chapter of our story published! And we all know how many songfics are going through your head, Xaja, so you'd better write some of those to!

Xaja: *indignant* How am I supposed to write the songfics when I haven't read the book in 6 years?!

_All the Greasers look apalled by this statement._

Pony: Six... years...??

Darry: Well, that's too bad. At least get started on the original plotline, or else!

Xaja: Want me to send Soda and Pony to a boy's home?!

_At this point, Darry grabs Soda and Pony, who happen to be his brothers, for dear life. That's okay though, since they're holding on to him just as tightly. All three look absolutley other Greasers just look ticked._

Dally: Evil Soc.

Xaja: Evil, yes. Soc? Not on your life!

Steve: *rolls eyes* Whatever. You'll see your precious Musey when you write our stories!

_All the Greasers laugh evily as they escape into the white flash that will take them back to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with Musey in tow._

Nathan: Is it safe to come out now? No more junior high homework subjects walking around?

Xaja: *wails* MUSEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gandalf: We now have but one choice. We must allow Xaja to appease the Outsiders' demands before we may move ahead.

Obi-Wan: I have a bad feeling about this.

AJ: *sighs* Okay, everyone OUT! Back to your own fandoms! Xaja's gotta write so we can move ahead!

_The flash appears again, and Johnny appears._

Johnny: Don't forget, a multi-chapter angsty epic, and many, many Skillet-based Family Force 5. Dally and I can't die either. We know our book will be at the library on Tuesday, so you'd better go get it when it comes out! And Darry says you can't send Soda and Pony to a boy's home, got that?

Xaja: *sulks* Fine.

_Satisfied, Johnny goes back to the Outsiders fandom. As soon as he's gone, Xaja grins evily._

Xaja: But who said I can't kill off anyone else? Or send Soda or Pony to a co-ed foster home in another state? Mwahahaha! *runs to computer, shoves Nathan off and opens up a Word document*

_The Jedi look at each other and shrug._

Mace: Well, we can't do anything more here. Let's head back to Ylesia and finish rescuing Obi-Wan and Zara.

Zara: Sounds good to me.

Cin: Wait a minute! *shoves Xaja off computer and goes to Wookiepedia* My page is still up there, right? Right? *searches for a moment* Yes, I'm here! *reads* Wait... I get killed off by some Sith named Vader? What's with that?

Garen: I have my own page too, right? *bumps Cin off computer and searches* Hey! How come I don't get a picture?

Xaja: Umm...

_With much rolling of eyes, Clee Rhara and Zara drag their fellow Jedi away from the computer. Let it be noted that it is no small feat for Zara, who in her OC-ness is a full foot shorter then her Master, and Clee is checking Wookiepedia to make sure she's a canon character as well, which she is. The Jedi finally leave. Somewhere in all this mess Pedaen has escaped back to Morenlon... or is he in Suradi? Whatever. Chanie leaves to the Inter-Fandom Realm, leaving the Fellowship and Nathan to sprawl across the floor._

Frodo: Um, maybe we should head back to Middle-Earth so Xaja can finish...

AJ: Good idea, squirt.

Xaja: Chow.

_The Fellowship leaves through another blinding flash._

Nathan: Okay, no more energy drinks for me.

Xaja: Good, I'll drink 'em for ya. Go see if the library's called, will ya? And print me off the Skillet lyrics from their new album.

_Nathan escapes. Xaja looks away from the computer and stares at the disaster the computer room has become._

Xaja: Meh. I'll clean it after I do my room.

_She turns back to the computer screen._

_Fade to black..._

************

**Yes, I stole the "My life doth sucketh most righteously" line from the amazing Araloth the Random, authoress of "The Fanfiction Testament"!! Which all of you should go and read!!!**

**As you may have guessed, I have got major writer's block. And you can blame the Outsiders fandom for that. The first chapter for that fic should be going up tomorrow or the day after though... *hollers in general direction of Tulsa* Are you happy?! Now gimme back Musey!! *ducks the beer can thrown at her* Evil Steve...**

**Not sure when I'll be posting a 'real' chapter for this fic, it might take a while. Sorry, guys! Please stand by...**

**Thanks for the patience! (Or lack thereof, I s'ppose...)**

**(Oh! If you want to be random and review this, go ahead! Just cuz it's late and I'm tired... I hope tomorrow's not another 13-hour work day! *groan*)**

**Xaja **


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